Knight
by Akaisuri
Summary: "Before a royalty is crowned King or Queen, he or she must choose his or her knight; his or her lifetime protector." The Princess's coronation is drawing near, and the number of people who wants her head on a silver platter is growing. Yet the feeble princess is yet to choose her knight. SxS AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Decided to start a new series after watching all of the episodes of Yu Yu Hakusho a few days ago. This was originally supposed to be a fanfic for that anime, but decided that CCS would fit the plot much better. Besides, I haven't really written something worthwhile for the anime that led me to this site. xD I've gotten rusty with writing too.

* * *

The Princess's coronation is near, and the number of people who wants her head on a silver platter is growing. Yet the feeble Princess is yet to choose her knight. "Who says I want to be your chummy knight?"

* * *

 _Before a royalty is crowned King or Queen, he or she must choose his or her knight; his or her lifetime protector._

* * *

The sound of a door softly clicking shut pulled Sakura out of her reverie. Slowly, she raised her head from the book she was staring at and looked at the petite young lady who entered the room.

"Milady, you called for me?" The servant kept her head bowed as she spoke. It is, after all, forbidden for maids and servants to look at a royalty's eye–unless you want to have your head separated from your neck, of course. Sakura thinks that it's an arrogant rule, and she has already planned for that law to disappear once she is crowned Oueen.

"Yes," Sakura said. The maid was one of the few who were personally assigned to tend to her needs, and it irked her that she couldn't even ask her name. Biting back a sigh, Sakura's gaze left the girl drifted back on the cover of her closed book.

A Princess she may be, there are still far superior positions until her coronation. Sakura knew that a lot of people are hiding in the shadows, just waiting for her single mistake so they can overthrow her. She's not stupid enough to give them a single opening. "Has Lady Tomoyo arrived?"

Tomoyo is the daughter of a duchess who lives a few towns from the palace. She and Tomoyo has been friends since the latter and her parents came to their kingdom for business when they were six. If there's one person that Sakura can trust, it's Tomoyo.

"Not yet, your highness, but it is expected that she is to arrive soon," was the servant's timid reply.

"Please inform me immediately once she arrives. That would be all," the servant bowed and quickly exited the room, leaving Sakura to her thoughts once more.

Her coronation day is drawing near, but she hasn't been able to choose her knight yet. There is just no one who suits to her tastes, and since the title of the Queen's knight is such a valuable position, she couldn't afford to make one mistake.

Bearing that title gives the authority to command the military as well as the influence over the Queen's political decisions. Because of that, different kinds of _cretins_ has been flocking around her left and right.

She has been searching for months, but all of them lacked credibility. Although there are some that showed promise, Sakura could feel something a little off about them, but she couldn't point it out. It was the lack of honor, perhaps?

A protector that came from a family of knights will be met with high praise, especially if her chosen one is of pure knightblood. There are five lineage of knightblood: Hiiragizawa, Shu, Minamoto, Yukki and Yamazaki. Three families has already presented their knight candidates and she has already judged them as she saw fit; the Shus are too arrogant, the Yamazakis talk too much, and the Minamoto showed forced chivalry. Sakura, together with Tomoyo, will be meeting the last two tomorrow. If all comes to worst, she'll be forced to go out of the palace and search on her own.

Though in this case, choosing a knight who did not come from the five lineage brings no disgrace, but in a more political sense, having someone of pure knightblood by her side as she ruled over her kingdom garners her more respect and recognition from other countries.

Sakura has little care for petty rules or petty bloodlines. For her, being a knight is in the heart. One needs no armor nor a newly polished sword to be protect someone. One look in the eye is all that it takes for her to see if the person is deserving of such a noble title. It might sound childish and fantastical, but it is not a lie.

In an act of near desperation she wrote a letter to Tomoyo for a plea of assistance. When it comes to information hunting, Tomoyo comes second to none. Her friend had responded immediately, saying that she'll be arriving in three days time. It has been too long since Sakura last saw her, and she had to admit that the walls of the palace has started to suffocate her.

Sakura opened her book once more and turned back to her reading. The book was about the history of her ancestors; the great contributions they made for their land and the names of their queens, children and their knight, all compiled by her father before his untimely death.

He was a king, as well as the greatest scribe in the country by the time of his rule. He was a great man, and he loved his children so. Sakura briefly closed her eyes at the memory of her father.

She gave out a sharp gasp as something soft and furry jumped on her lap and brushed against her arm. The book on her hands flew nearly halfway across the room. Pressing her palm to her chest to calm her breathing, she gave the offender a mock glare. The furball only purred and snuggled closer to her.

"Kero," Sakura said in a reprimanding way, "You shouldn't keep on doing that. You nearly gave me a heart attack! Were you here all along?" Kero meowed in response. "I didn't even notice you," laughing softly, Sakura gently took her cat off her lap and set it on the floor before standing up to retrieve her book.

It was left opened near the middle when it landed on the floor and as her eyes travelled over the page, there was a picture of her late ancestor, King Clow, drawn on the top left. She hasn't really gone much into reading about his life, but from what she heard from her father, he was one of the greatest kings that ever walked on their country. It was also rumored that he held the secrets to an ancient type of magic that hasn't been seen for over five hundred years.

 _Magic, huh,_ Sakura let her eyes wander over the room before setting her eyes upon a clay pot resting on the ledge of the window. It housed a small indoor plant that has been exposed under the sun for far too long. Slowly, she narrowed her eyes and concentrated on its withered leaves, and under her direct stare, the plant blossomed back to life…only to become lifeless again after she blinked and lost her concentration.

The Royal bloodlines are well known for having the ability to control magic. The Kinomotos used to govern the magic of the plants. The flowers, the trees and everything in nature were a part of them. But through the years, the practice of magic became taboo and since then magic-users diminished to a handful.

Her late grandmother commanded magic under her expert hands and when Sakura was a child, she showed the same affinity to nature as her grandmother did when she was but a girl. Her beloved grandmother wasted no time to try and teach her. However, she departed the world too soon and Sakura's magic was left raw and untouched.

Her grandmother always told her to be careful and to remember her words: _For everything you give, there is something that you lose._ Sakura hadn't understood her grandmother back then, but as the feeling of light-headedness and fatigue washed over her as soon as averted her gaze away from the plant, she has an inkling of what those words meant.

Taking deep but silent breaths, Sakura picked up her book and settled on her comfortable chair once more.

"He studied and discovered the secrets of an ancient form of magic which governed over the sun and moon…over the dark and the light," _amazing!_ Sakura thought as she continued to read aloud. "Clow Reed's accomplishments were mainly focused on the practice of different forms of magic, and it is said that he invented some of his own!" Since her great grandfather outlawed magic during his reign and disposed of nearly all of its records in history, Sakura found it a bit difficult to believe, yet she trusted her father's work.

 _Magic must be everything back then…_ her thoughts trailed off as she stared at her palms. She had seen what her grandmother can do while using her abilities. Her memory was hazy, but what she saw back then was something breathtaking and beautiful. The way that she made the garden bloom over the snow-covered soil as if it was spring in the middle of winter left had her mouth agape and filled her eyes with childish wonder and excitement. She had hoped that she can do that someday as well.

She was about to turn back to the page where she left off when she realized something that made her eyes scan through Clow's history once again. Who was Clow Reed's knight? Her gaze moved back and forth through the whole section, scanning page by page to see if she had missed something, but nothing. There was no knight mentioned. _How is that possible?_

To be appointed as King without a knight by his side is the most unspeakable occurrence possible. It was simply contemptuous.

It sparked Sakura's curiosity, and she wanted—no, _needed_ –to know more. However, the knock on the door followed by a servant's voice told her of Tomoyo's arrival. Gently, she closed her book and set it on the nearest table as she kept a mental note to return to it later.

Sakura stood and straightened her skirts before walking towards the door and pushing it open.

Two bowed servants immediately greeted her sight and wordlessly, she was led from her private study through the expansive hallways and finally outside the main entrance of the palace. She halted and stood atop the grand stairs which overlooked the beautiful garden that surrounded the whole palace.

On the bottom of the steps was an open carriage and emerging from it, guided by the coachman, was none other than Tomoyo. Her lavender eyes met hers as she looked at the top of the steps and smiled brightly. The servants bustled to and fro as they moved to fetch her belongings from the carriage and deliver it to her room.

Tomoyo gathered her skirts and made her way up the low steps, her heels barely making a sound as she walked on the hard granite. Once she reached the top, she wasted no second to engulf her most precious friend in a warm hug. She can tell that the Queen-to-be was surprised by her action as she noted the way her spine stiffened, but she didn't care.

"Oh Sakura," she gushed, "It has been so long!" Tomoyo exclaimed as soon as she released Sakura from her tight grip and held her an arm's length to look at her properly.

Her light brown hair has grown longer and she was a bit taller than before, yet her eyes had grown duller. The shining emerald shade of her eyes had somehow dampened and the stress was also evident in her face. Tomoyo would have strangled her–titles be damned–with her own hands had she decided to still not call for her in this state. Sakura has this bad habit of taking responsibility for things that aren't even in the control of her hands. It made her want to act like a worried matron, but she held herself in check.

"It's only been a year and a half, Tomoyo," Sakura laughed softly as she gently pried Tomoyo's hands from her shoulders and led her inside.

Tomoyo huffed, glaring at her, "We've been inseparable until your coronation was publicly announced. Then I was suddenly carted home like some–some livestock!" Sakura laughed. She certainly missed Tomoyo and her tendency to exaggerate things a little bit. "It's true!" The young woman added in a conceding tone.

"I remember you being summoned by your mother back then. It was simply a coincidence that my coronation was made public at the same time," Sakura smiled and continued to lead Tomoyo to her private quarters.

Tomoyo only scoffed and waved her hand in dismissal when Sakura offered to leave her to rest as soon as they arrived in the safety of her room.

"Nonsense!" She said as she sat in front of her vanity and started plucking the pins from her hair until it fell out of its bun. She took the brush and ran it through her ebony locks, all the while giving her the look that told her to start talking.

Had it been anyone but Tomoyo giving her that commanding look, Sakura would've sent for guards to throw the person out of the palace, but since Tomoyo's been by her side for as long as she can remember, she's willing to make the exception. She opened her mouth and started talking.

"That's why I called for you here," Sakura sat on the plush bed and sighed deeply.

Now that her hair was tangle free and down on her back just as she liked, Tomoyo set her brush down and walked over to Sakura. "If you were under so much stress, why didn't you call for me earlier?" She gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she sat beside her.

"I wanted to, but I can't. The threats were too dangerous and I couldn't put your life on the line. Akatsuki announced to the public that I had already chosen my knight a few weeks before to simmer the ruckus down and it worked, but now the people are demanding my appearance with the said knight. If word gets out that it was all a lie…" Sakura closed her eyes and released a shaky breath.

Tomoyo shushed her, "Now, now. Let's not think about that and focus on the matter at hand. Two more, right? And if that doesn't suit your tastes still then I will personally help you get past the walls." Tomoyo grinned. "By the way, I heard some rumors on my way here, do you want to hear it?"

Sakura's head perked up at that, "What is it?" Her brows furrowed.

"Apparently there's a gang of bandits rounding up in the capital. I hear they come at night to do evil then escape to the northern woods before the crack of dawn," Tomoyo paused, as if debating the credibility of the information, before she shook her head. "It's probably some petty news since the city looked the same last I saw it on my here. Although there are some renovations that happened here and there."

"It has to be false. If a crime like that happens, it's directly reported to me by Yomu. There's nothing going on beyond those walls that I haven't heard of," even as those words left her lips, doubt settled in the back of her mind. Her father's advisor wouldn't do something such as leaving her out of these matters, would he?

But then again, Sakura was never really fond of the older man.

"Tomoyo?"

"I'm on it." Tomoyo was on her way to the door in seconds, her dark curls swishing with every step she took. It reminded Sakura of her mother's hair, only Tomoyo's was a much, much darker shade. She only watched as Tomoyo opened the door and stepped out to the hallway.

However, just as she was about to close the door, Sakura found herself asking, "Do you ever use magic?"

To which Tomoyo only responded with a laugh before replyinh, "Don't be silly, Sakura. You know only people with Royal blood can use magic."

And just like that, Sakura was once again left with her own musings.

* * *

a/n: it's been so long since I had the urge to write a fanfiction, and a CCS one at that! I personally think that this chapter is too short, but it's okay-ish for a start...?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura in any form.

* * *

"Mister," if Tomoyo wasn't as cultured as she was, she would've spat that at the guard's face. "I've been told last night that if I want to speak with the royal advisor, I should come early next morning," she pointed at herself then spread her arms out wide, "Here I am now, and you're telling me that he does not wish to see _anyone_?"

If the circumstances were a lot more just, she would've accepted the adviser's wishes, but seeing the third person who had wished an audience with him had immediately went past her and into the room cut the last strings of her patience.

"Yes," the guard replied. Tomoyo scowled even further at the lack of honorary address. It was as if she was undeserving of some respect and recognition since she was just some lady from someplace. Tomoyo had never felt the urge to hit someone this badly. Surely, Sakura wouldn't mind if this guard went home with a broken nose, right?

Yet in the end she pushed the violent thoughts deep into the farthest back of the mind and gave the guard the best smile she could muster. However, given how the guard suddenly shrunk before her, she it may have come off as a grimace. "Well, that can't be helped then. Have a _great_ day, sir," and with that, Tomoyo spun on her heel and walked away as gracefully as she could, although internally she was resisting the deep urge to stomp away like a child having a tantrum.

As long as Sakura is not Queen, that suspicious old man will always be a position higher than a Princess. His role is to act as the temporary king until Sakura is crowned, and as such, he should know the ins and outs of all the matters not only in the palace, but in the whole capital as well. Tomoyo needed answers, and nothing frustrates more than coming up empty-handed.

She rounded a corner and after clarifying that the corridor is empty, she finally gave in to the urge and pulled her hair while making a strained growling sound at the back of her throat. As she calmed down, she took several deep breaths before regaining her usual composure and walking forward with her head held high.

* * *

"Be quiet or I will send you to the dungeons, are we clear?" The maid was obviously terrified. Not only had she been quite literally dragged away from her daily chores, but she's also being held captive in an empty room by a possibly crazed young lady who held a knife that she had stolen from the kitchen. The maid can do nothing but nod shakily.

Tomoyo knew very well that still she has her hand covering the girl's mouth, yet she still asked, "What's your name?" She was raised with the right manners after all. "I'm going to remove my hand and if you try to scream I will make sure that you'll regret it, understand?" She pressed the blade a bit closer to the maid's waist to get her point across.

At her nod, Tomoyo slowly removed her offending hand. "Chiharu," the girl wheezed out. Tomoyo might've handled her a bit too roughly, but she couldn't control her strength when she couldn't control her temper.

"Lady Tomoyo, what is going on? Are you all right?" Tomoyo nearly smiled when she heard the open curiosity in the young maid's voice. At least the girl knew that she wouldn't do something like this in the norm.

"Nice to meet you, Chiharu. Since you already know who I am, I'm going to start with the questions," Tomoyo smiled, and the poor girl just trembled like a leaf and shrunk against the wall.

* * *

"Princess!" Prince Leonard called out as he tried to catch up to Sakura's brisk pace.

Sakura fought back a sigh. As if finding a knight wasn't difficult enough, there are also princes who often visit her kingdom in hopes of taking her hand in marriage. She never really paid them any attention unless it was needed, but this one was starting to get on her last strings of patience.

Oh, she had been a lot patient with him. On the first night of his stay, he had started complaining about how their food was not on par with the one they served in his country. On the second night, he had invited himself into her private library and started yapping away with absolutely no regard for her studies. Now, on his last evening, Sakura is determined to get rid of dim-witted prince once and for all.

"Did you not hear me? I was calling after you for quite some time now," he huffed and puffed when he finally caught up to her. Sakura can barely conceal the ticking of her brow.

"No," Sakura personally valued honesty but then again, she thought, _who doesn't lie in politics?_ " I have been too preoccupied with my thoughts...and my duties, of course," she was really tired of him. He had been tailing her since morning and the extra effort she had exerted to avoid him irked her to no end. "Don't you have anything more important you have to do?" She might not be doing anything but a stroll as of the moment, but this person absolutely does not deserve her time and attention.

"Pardon me?" He scowled.

"It seems you are incapable of understanding basic human speech, Prince Leonard," Sakura nearly laughed at the look that crossed his face as soon as those words flew out of her mouth. "So out of consideration, I'll say it again with more simple words: go home. Your marriage proposal is rejected, and you have overstayed your welcome in my kingdom."

Sakura made a move to walk past him, but as she passed by, he snatched her back with a tight grip on her arm. Her eyes looked down at his unwelcome hand for a moment before she let it travel to his face to meet his.

"Being a princess must be hard, right?" He chuckled sarcastically. He pulled her close, so close that their shoulders brushed, and Sakura quickly slapped his hand away. She took a cautious step back to widen the gap between them. If she wasn't careful, this stupid prince might cause some idiotic rumors.

"After all, you have to be pretty and well-mannered all the time," Prince Leonard scoffed. His stare traveled down the entire length of her body before he licked his lips. A sickening glint of appreciation appeared in his eyes and made Sakura's blood boil.

But no matter how much his action peeved her, she said nothing and opted to observe him with practiced silence. After all, through various encounters with different kinds of people, she had learned that a mouth that keeps running deserves to be sewn shut in the most painful way possible.

He mistook her reservation for sullenness just as she expected. A maniacal grin was on his face as he continued, "Shall we list down all your _duties_?" He mocked.

"Attending parties, dressing up to look better than the other Princesses, collecting the richest silk and the most expensive gold and then pampering yourself so you can bait the richest and most beneficial prince to marry. That must be quite a chore, right?" He glanced at her to gauge her reaction but Sakura kept her face passive.

Then he resumed, "And when you're crowned Queen, you still have to be pretty for your King and your country," he threw his head back and laughed bitterly. "Tell me, Princess, how difficult or _busy_ can your life be?" It was clear in his eyes. He was the usual kind of spoiled prince who does not take rejection well. Sakura realized that he must be quite foolish when he decided to court her.

She dropped her impassive face when she gave him a bright smile. He frowned in confusion.

Immensely entertained by his reaction, Sakura's smile broadened. "A Princess is a title that are received by many, yet deserved by a few. Being a Princess means that she represents her kingdom, her land, her birthplace and its tradition, as well as its ways and its practices. How a Princess acts mirrors on how she was raised, and therefore, she reflects certain characteristics of the King and Queen who raised her," she paused to press her palm against her cheek as her eyes met his in a cold stare.

"It is not about wearing tiaras nor going to parties to amass attention and recognition, but it is all about holding your name at the top of your head so people can regard it with the same amount of respect and dignity they see through your actions," she nearly laughed at his astonished face, but she kept her smile frozen before continuing, "That is the truth that is told upon me, who is first in line."

Sakura pretended to gasp, "Oh, but forgive my impertinence, Prince Leonard," she giggled sheepishly. "How unthinking of me to forget that you are only sixth in line. With the amount of brothers and sisters that you have, your father certainly didn't even try to tell you the things every royal successor should know. After all, you don't even have a chance to rule over your own country," she chuckled before pausing as if to contemplate over a thought, before adding, "And since I refused your proposal, you won't ever have a taste of sitting on _any_ throne. My, how depressing!"

Sakura had never seen a person's face crumple into so many emotions in such a short period of time. It was so amusing that she couldn't keep herself from laughing.

He raised an open palm, and she immediately sobered. Unfazed, she kept her focus on his face. Her eyes showed no sign of fear nor submission. She had dealt with temperamental males throughout her life, and compared to them, this weak prince was easier than having tea with Tomoyo's mother.

"Are you really thinking of hitting me, Prince Leonard?" She stood on her ground with hands folded in front of her, showing a façade of nonchalance and indifference. Her pose stated casualness, yet the prince, even from an onlooker's eye, looked as if he was ready to involve himself in a fistfight. Should the situation get out of hand, Sakura knew that the prince will still lose.

"You would hit me, the Princess who owns the land you are stepping on? I, who owns the meal you last ate, who owns the water you used in your last bath, who owns the air you breathe," she took a menacing step forward, and the prince instinctively moved to maintain their distance. "You dare hit _me_ , who owns everything around you?"

His face was contorted from anger when he brought his hand down.

Sakura smiled, "Tell me, Prince, do you know the capital punishment for hurting the heir to the throne?" She didn't raise her voice, yet her simple question stopped the Prince's hand a mere few inches from hitting her delicate skin. Sakura didn't even wince when she felt the swish of air that hit her cheek and fluttered the tendrils of hair that framed her face.

"I know only a little about your father, _Prince._ But I know enough to be certain that he would not appreciate knowing that his _sixth in line_ has been into late night activities with the maids in a palace that he doesn't even own," the shock that replaced the anger on his face was enough indication that Sakura won.

"And here he comes, insulting the owner of the palace, thinking that he can win her over in his arrogance," she chuckled when he started backing away from her with a look on his face that can only be described as pure terror. "I have been told that I have a melodious voice. Tell me, Prince Leonard, do you want me to sing to your father?"

"A wolf in a sheep's clothing, I see," he smiled shakily. Sakura advanced and stopped in front of him. When she raised her hand, he violently pushed her in alarm. Collective gasps came from the maids who were cleaning the corridor and they immediately rushed over to prevent her from stumbling on the floor.

The maids helped her regain her posture, and she ushered them away with a gentle wave of her hand. "Prince Leonard," she chuckled. "You're so silly and jumpy sometimes. There was dirt on your vest, so I thought that I could remove it for you," she sighed before taking a step towards him and patting his shoulder. " _You don't even know the half of it_ ," she whispered so only he could hear the underlying threat in her words.

Turning back to the maids, she had a smile on her face as she said, "Please prepare Prince Leonard's things. He said he misses his sibling and desires to return to them as soon as he can."

"Yes, your highness," the maids said in chorus and kept their heads bowed as they curtseyed before hurrying away.

"Well," Sakura said cheerfully. "Now that we all have that settled, why don't I accompany you to your carriage?"

Realizing that she was not one to mess with, the prince meekly nodded.

* * *

He opened his eyes and stared at the sunset through the small gaps on the drapes that covered his makeshift window. The room was dark, and the only light that dimmed the place are the final rays of the sun as it flittered through the curtains and bathed the room in a soft orange hue. He blinked and uncrossed his arms to remove some of the numbness sleep had caused. He took the sword that was tucked beneath his arms and set it to lean against the nearest wall.

The cushion that he sat on was dirty and the wall that he leant against was hard and cold, yet he said nothing and simply sat with his legs crossed. He carefully stretched his numb legs before flexing his fingers. Slowly, he opened his palm and stared at it, feeling the power which coursed through his veins. He gathered and focused a small portion of it to his palm, and not too soon after, small bolts of lightning cackled from his skin, lighting the room and making the shadows dance.

The buzzing and cackling of the power on this fingers were like music to his ears. He loved hearing it more than nothing. All too soon he stopped and closed his palm when he felt someone approaching. He looked at the door–or piece of cloth, in his case–and saw the shadow of a person getting closer. The cloth was pushed aside by a small hand before a small boy entered the small, dusty room.

"Syaoran, I brought some food!"

He smiled, and though it was but a small quirk of his lips, it was enough for the child to beam up at him.

"Good job, kid."

* * *

"Did you find anything?" It was Sakura's immediate question as soon as she locked the room of her study and found Tomoyo inside.

"Other than the fact that something had gone awry so the meeting of the Yukki and the Hiiragizawa are pushed back tomorrow?" She didn't even look up from the book she was reading. "And, well, I heard that a certain princess made a certain prince go home with a bite mark on his behind," at that, Tomoyo looked up and raised her brow.

Sakura waved it off, "I don't want to speak about it. We weren't able to meet after breakfast today. How was your hunt?"

"You know, so-so," it was Tomoyo's turn to wave, forcing the image of the terrified young maid at the back of her mind. She was generous enough to pay her for her cooperation and silence. "I wasn't allowed to speak with _his high beloved_ adviser so I had to…change my tactics a little. Turns out that crime behind those walls are becoming rampant," she pointed her thumb outside as she spoke, straight to the high walls that separated the palace from the rest of the capital. "'The citizens are already planning a revolution should the princess continue her indifference towards her people.'"

Sakura's ears rang at what she heard. "What!" She nearly shrieked, slapping her palms on the table. More than that, she was seething. She never felt so foolish and used her whole life. What was that _old man_ doing?

"Sakura," the unfathomable curses in her head immediately ceased once she heard Tomoyo's tone, "Focus on the things at hand first. You cannot make a public appearance unless you have a knight on your side, and you cannot stop the crimes all by yourself without actually going out there. Stop pressuring yourself. Tomorrow, focus on finding a knight, and after that, we'll do something about Yomu. Calm down."

Sakura heeded her friend's advice and took a deep breath to level herself. She sat on the nearest chair once she was certain she had a reign over her emotions once again and leaned back, closing her eyes to calm her rampant thoughts. This was one of those times where she actually wished she wasn't first line to the throne. This was one of the few moments where she wished her brother hadn't ran away from the responsibility.

"Tomoyo?" She found herself calling as she covered her eyes with her arm. It was not a lady-like gesture, but she was tired of acting as of the moment.

"Hmm?" Was the absent-minded reply. The girl was probably too absorbed in her book to actually pay her any attention, which is most definitely fine. She wouldn't want someone to take full notice of her in such a state.

 _Do you ever miss your father?_ The question was at the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn't voice it out. Tomoyo's father is something that they don't really talk about. It wasn't taboo, yet it somehow felt wrong to talk about it. But to answer her own question, Sakura missed her father very, very much.

Her father was King, as well as a wonderful scribe. Each year he would travel across his land for his books and to keep track of his whole kingdom. This takes him around three days to complete. She was used to it, really, so she and her mother hadn't minded. However, there was one particular day that season when storms brewed endlessly in the skies. It was his third day, and he was on his way home, yet he never did make it.

It was stormy, the wind was blowing endlessly and the harsh rain was continuously pitter pattering against her window. Lightning continuously flashed one after another and thunder boomed left and right. She was scared, not for her, but for her father.

It was only after three days that his carriage was found in pieces at the bottom of a cliff. When the guards brought the body of the late King back to the palace, it was the first time that Sakura let so much tears stain her cheeks.

Her mother, overcome by grief, was soon bedridden with sickness. It didn't take long for her to follow after her father. Sakura had never felt so lonely. She had received nothing but looks of pity and sympathy. She hated it.

Yet that was all in the past and here is the present. Now, she cannot tarnish her family's honor by turning her back. She doesn't blame anyone for her inescapable fate, in fact, she had long accepted that the throne was her birthright.

The seconds are ticking fast. If she want to rise up and solve the impending problems, she has to find the most beneficial solutions quickly.

She wished she had someone as a role model to base her choices upon when it comes to choosing her knight. Her father's knight had died from an unknown sickness a year before she was born, and though her father had told her stories about him, Sakura still couldn't form a solid image in her mind. Though speaking of knights…

"Tomoyo, do you know of a knightblood named Li?" Sakura had pestered her tutor about King Clow's unlisted knight and she hadn't stopped until he practically screamed the answer out of annoyance. _Matsuhiro Li_. Sakura had never heard of a Li Family name and it didn't sound like it was a native name from her country either. She had asked, yet her tutor never answered her as to why the knight was never in the book.

Tomoyo hummed before replying, "No, not really. There are only five knightbloods left, am I correct? Li wasn't among those five."

Why was King Clow's knight removed from history books? What sort of crime did he commit to have his whole identity erased from the face of the world? But perhaps it was because he was simply too incompetent? Sakura thought that her last idea was the least likely. A king wouldn't choose a knight he deemed unworthy.

"I'm going out tomorrow," Sakura blurted, making Tomoyo slam her book shut.

"What?"

"If no one will tell me what's going on then I'm going to check past the walls myself."

Tomoyo scowled as she set her book down on her lap, "Sakura, we've been through this. You can't—"

"No, no, without the guards—without anyone knowing, Tomoyo–and you are going to help me," Sakura grinned, briefly showing a hint of her childish mischief.

"And if you get caught?" Upon seeing Sakura's smirk, Tomoyo immediately knew that her friend already has a plan in her pretty little head. She wouldn't doubt Sakura's capabilities.

 _I'll think of something…I hope,_ Sakura bit her lip and let out a quiet sigh once Tomoyo resumed reading her book with a smile.

* * *

A/N: There you go! I stretched it out a bit. And I hope I didn't make Sakura too OOC, but for someone who has been raised for the throne, I think that personality suits her best. Manipulative, a bit cunning and can wound someone with words alone.

By the way, do you want to know what I love? Reviewsssss~


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Cardcaptor Sakura does not belong to me in any way possible.

* * *

"After meeting with the last two knightbloods, I'll escape outside immediately," Sakura explained as she and Tomoyo made their way to the main hall, where the candidates from the two families await. Trailing behind them were two palace maids and Sakura could hear their skirts shuffling as they struggled to keep up with their fast pace.

"' _I_ '?" Tomoyo's sudden outburst echoed through the empty halls and a chorus of surprised squeaks was heard behind them. Sakura immediately shut Tomoyo up with a single look. "I thought I'm going to help you!" She whispered fiercely as she gave her a pleading look.

Beyond those walls are people who will not kiss her feet and bend down to her will as soon as they see her. If she went outside without any indication of her royal blood, she will be treated like any other person, or maybe even worse; and if someone recognized her and found out that she's walking around without any guards, it might turn into the worst disaster. Tomoyo nearly fainted at the horrendous images that filled her imaginative mind.

"Sakura, you haven't been out there for more than five years. Why don't you send me instead?"

"Well, all the better to see the outside now, and no, you'll be staying here," Sakura said sternly. "It's too dangerous and you're not exactly used to being around…other people," she hid a smile behind her fingers but Tomoyo caught it nonetheless, making her frown.

"Are you implying that I'm too cultured to mingle with people of lower status?"

"Tomoyo, I am your friend. I'm not implying, I _know_ you're too cultured and won't be able to blend in."

Tomoyo hated that she had a point, but she wasn't going to say that out loud. She wasn't a snob, but she grew up in ballrooms and banquet halls, not in markets and alleyways.

Still, Tomoyo opened her mouth to protest, only to shut it again when the doors leading to the main hall met her sight. Suppressing a sigh, she decided to convince Sakura out of her plans later–or at the very least, let her in it.

"Princess Sakura and Lady Tomoyo arrives," the herald who stood by the large doors announced as soon as it opened.

Eyes were instantly glued to her, and Sakura subtly raised her chin higher. She's in a room filled with men. If she wants their respect, she has to appear to deserve it. To accomplish that, she has to show them who exactly held the upper hand.

She stopped in the middle of the room, where seven young lads await with their heads bowed, crouched on one knee with their forearms resting over it.

"Rise," it was a single word, yet the power behind it seemed to radiate as it echoed through the hall. They wasted no second to oblige, and slowly she looked straight into each every one of them. She stared at their eyes as she silently assessed them and measured their worth. _Nothing._

Sakura was about to tell the guards to escort them away when the last person in the row cleared his throat. Sakura stared at him, waiting for him to explain his sudden need for her attention. His eyes were blue and devoid of any emotion, and she can already imagine herself disliking this guy. A person as unreadable as he is bound to annoy her one way or another.

He was taller than all of the other men, yet he was the leanest and carried himself with a grace that rivalled Tomoyo's. He smiled, gentle and mysterious, but Sakura couldn't tell if it was genuine or pure mockery.

"Princess," he bowed deeply. "If I may introduce myself, I am Eriol from the Hiiragizawa family," his voice was calm and smooth, as if he was reading a book right before her.

Now that she thought about it, even if she disregards that fact that Hiiragizawa is a knightblood, it still rings familiarity in her head. "Are you perhaps related to the royal line of the same name?" She fully turned to face him, trying to read his body language for any indication of false pretenses. It irked when she found none. She really hates people like him.

"Yes, the king of the Hiiragizawa country is my uncle, Princess," he bowed to properly acknowledge her. "He sent me here not for the position of your knight, but as a business associate." Leave it to the Hiiragizawa to take business everywhere. They come and go wherever anything beneficial comes up and appears in front of you with a tasty proposition.

Sakura had to hand it over to them though, among all of the royal lineage in these lands, they are by far the best at negotiating; and that skill has maintained their country's stability for the past few generations. _Maybe having an ally from that family would not be so bad_ ,Sakura thought. Even with his unreadable expression, he looked trustworthy enough.

"Guards, escort these men away," Sakura ignored the sudden gasps of surprise and continued, "And you," she directed her stare at the blue-haired man, "let us talk after I finish some of my personal matters." She summoned a servant and whispered orders to her. With a flick of her wrist, the maids quickly led him away.

Tomoyo, who has been standing behind her quietly, finally spoke once they were unattended, "How can you immediately reject all of the men without even talking to them?" She asked in mild surprise. "It's even faster than when you reject your suitors!"

Sakura scoffed, "All of them were unworthy," she gathered her skirts and slowly started to walk to the study, where she ordered the maids to take Eriol to.

Tomoyo followed suit yet remained a few steps behind her pace "How can you say?" She can hear instead of see the scowl that accompanied those words even without looking back.

"If you look closely enough, Tomoyo, you can see a person's soul though his eyes."

"Excuse me?"

"You can thank my mother," Sakura whispered to herself.

Amamiya, the family where Sakura's mother came from, were direct descendants of powerful sorcerers. They were nomads and lived in harmony with nature. For centuries they rejected contact with strangers to protect not only their secret, but the whole world as well. Because of that, they are the only people who has awakened and mastered magic which was unknown to the rest of the world. _Precognition._

Humans are naturally hungry for power; they destroy and tarnish everything they see if it means getting a leverage against their enemy and sometimes, even against their own kin. It did not take long for humans to taint the Amamiya's purity as well. As soon as they found out about the abilities they possess, they wasted no time to conquer it and keep it for themselves.

The Amamiyas were gentle people and are against fighting, yet when they saw the intruders ravishing their beloved land, they had no other choice but to protect it. It seemed like an endless battle, however, both forces eventually destroyed each other.

The remaining Amamiya women and their children fled throughout the land and hid, sealing their magic and vowing to never again use it. Because of that, their powers slowly depleted until it ultimately disappeared. That started the decline of the Amamiya, and their practices and magic were lost forever.

Sakura's mother, Nadeshiko, was said to have a very special ability because of her blood, for she was the last Amamiya who ever lived. No one, not even her father, knew about it, but Sakura suspected that precognition was indeed her mother's gift.

Before she died, she had talked to Sakura as she lied on her bed, thin and frail. She had asked her to lean down for she had something to whisper to her. However, as their foreheads touched, Sakura felt a tingling sensation, as if lightning had suddenly coursed through her body and she remembered jerking back in alarm.

Her mother had only smiled at her reaction before she said her final words, _"My precious Princess, may my gift help you find the one who will light your dark path. You are bound for great things and I fear that it may fright you, but be strong, my love, for someone will always be there to protect you."_

Sakura hadn't known what that present was and had asked Yomu about it a few days after her mother's burial, yet the older man mentioned that neither Fujitaka nor Nadeshiko had left any gift for her. However, as she got older, she finally figured out what it was. It seemed unbelievable and laughable, but Sakura was quite thankful for it.

Tomoyo, realizing that Sakura wouldn't answer her anytime soon, decided to simply change the topic, "That person doesn't seem worthy of your trust," she was referring to the blue-eyed man.

"We'll see about that," were the Princess's only words before the servants opened the door leading to the library.

Eriol was sitting amidst the tall stacks of books in the center of the room when the princess entered his line of sight. He smiled at them and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

Slowly, he rose from his chair and bowed in respect, hoping to make a good impression. The Princess was just as his uncle told him; reserved, calculating and not to be underestimated. Not only that, but just as how the stories are told, she bore a lot of resemblance with her late mother, who was once known as the fairest lady throughout the lands.

Whomever he is who manages to have the Queen's hand in marriage is a lucky man who deserves his respect. His uncle hinted that he court her as well, but he politely declined. He is not looking for a wife and the thought of him being with her made him suppress a chuckle.

The lady who was with the Princess earlier trailed slowly behind her, stopping a few steps behind her back when she stopped walking. He didn't bother to pay her any attention when they were at the main hall, but now that he did, he can't help but study her. She has pale white skin which was lightly tinted pink around her cheeks and long ebony hair that complemented her purple eyes. Now, how many people does he know has eyes like that?

"State your business. I have an urgent matter to attend to," the Princess's words were crisp, strict and cut to the point. Eriol found himself liking the heir more and more.

"I am here in behalf of my uncle. I have been told that he has been eyeing your kingdom for quite some time, but couldn't act because of lack of information."

Sakura's eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion.

"Oh, my," Eriol chuckled, "Please don't take it the wrong way, your highness. Business is all about information, and it is pretty normal for negotiators like us to investigate first before making a move. Isn't that what most sensible people do?"

He had a point and Sakura found herself smirking a little bit. "What does your uncle want with my kingdom?"

"An alliance, your majesty," his reply was instant, "I am sure you have heard of the invaders that came from the north."

"So I have," Sakura nodded as she sat on one of the chairs and motioned for Eriol to do so too. He complied, sitting across her with his hands on his knees. Tomoyo walked behind the chair Sakura was occupying, yet she remained standing.

"They are a becoming quite a threat, your highness, and they are getting worse. Reports say that they are aiming for Saeki," his tone was grave and Sakura's brows pulled together as she felt the weight of his words. "The Kinomoto is surely one of the most powerful kingdoms, however, it is nothing compared to Saeki. Soon they'll be eyeing your country too, your majesty, and you'll be quite in a handicap, seeing that you lack a knight by your side."

"What are you proposing?"

"As I said, an alliance. An alliance so powerful that those invaders will have to think twice before damaging even one of our livestock. I'm sure you know how the Hiiragizawa has risen to power these past generations. We'll use Intimidation, in other words, and I am willing to listen to your conditions, your majesty."

"I understand, yet I don't see the reason why you're approaching me and not the royal adviser, Lord Hiiragizawa. I still do not have full reign, and the royal adviser can surely come up with far better terms than I."

Eriol smiled, "That is indeed true, yet don't forget that it is you who will be crowned and not him. Whenever I lay out a deal, I like to discuss it with people who does not have a temporary position."

They stared at each other for a long time and when Sakura spoke once again, it was as if a few eons had passed, "I'll think about your offer," she quietly stood up, "In the meantime, I'll have servants prepare your own quarters."

"It would be my pleasure, your highness," Eriol bowed politely, and Tomoyo saw the smirk that he expertly hid. She frowned and told herself to keep a vigilant eye. Despite the respectful behavior he showed in front of them, she knew better than to trust a stranger. In fact, if anyone asked her, he looked like someone who will readily stab anyone on the back while smiling.

"If you need any help, please do not hesitate to ask Tomoyo. I'm sure she's more than willing to be of assistance," both parties looked at her, and Tomoyo smiled as she did a compulsory curtsey.

"Of course," she chucked. "Anything to help a guest." If Sakura wanted to her to act as a spy, then she would do so without any question.

"I'm afraid I've kept you from your matters long enough, your majesty. Though I must admit that I have taken a liking to your library. Can I stay here a while longer? You have such an interesting collection," Eriol, smiling, lifted a book which had the word ' _Astronomy'_ adorning its cover.

"Any guest is welcome to the library," Sakura simply stated as she rose from her seat and started walking towards the door.

"Your majesty," she halted and turned around upon hearing his grave tone. "If your books are to speak about you, it seems that you are very interested in magic," his eyes were hooded with an unnamed emotion, yet his lips wore a cheerful smile.

"I like reading fairytales," was her humorous reply.

"So it seems," Eriol laughed. Sakura couldn't fathom whether there was something more to his statement or not, but instead of questioning him, she decided to ignore it.

* * *

Sakura's hand froze from patting the dust away from her dress. Behind her, Tomoyo was oddly silent. It worried her, for Tomoyo was _never_ quiet. She straightened from her bent position and whirled to meet the eyes of her closest friend.

"Well?" Sakura asked, arms raised on shoulder level. Instead of her usual royal garments, she wore a simple wool dress which hung loosely on her small frame and around her waist was a thin leather belt to give her even just a small look of decency. The heeled shoes which she usually wore inside the castle was replaced by simple leather sandals which looked like it had seen better days and her hair, which was always styled into a chignon, now flowed to her back in soft waves.

Tomoyo sighed softly. No matter how much Sakura dressed up as a peasant, her face will still attract unwanted attention. It was like placing a bar of gold on top of dirty rags. "You look…" she trailed off, struggling to find the right word, "alright." Since she had always called Sakura 'beautiful', she figured 'all right' will suffice in this case.

Sakura's face lit up in a small smile, yet it did not quite reach her eyes. It goes without saying that both of them are uneasy of what they're about to do.

Since Sakura is heir to the throne, she's not allowed to step foot outside the castle without guards accompanying her. The last time they tried to sneak out was when they secretly attended the spring festival when they were nine years old.

"Wear this too," Tomoyo handed her a wool cloth, light brown in color, before continuing, "hide your eyes well." Green eyes wasn't very common in their country. Worry laced Tomoyo's tone and Sakura nodded in reply, gratefully accepting the cloak.

As Sakura was clipping the garment around her shoulders, Tomoyo walked over to the large painting that hang on the wall opposite the door. Her fingers gracefully touched the canvass, feeling the slight bumps on the dried paint before pressing a particular portion of its intricately designed wooden frame. With a small creak, the whole painting hinged itself off the wall, revealing a hidden passage.

Tomoyo pulled it open big enough for Sakura's slight to squeeze through. She stared into the darkness, her eyes unapproving as she observed the unkempt walls of the tunnel. She can already hear the echoing squeaks of rats and the smell of their pee nearly made her gag when it reached her nose. She frowned.

A hand rested on her shoulder and Tomoyo smiled lightly before turning to Sakura. She was an heir to the throne, and no matter how close they are, she doesn't have the authority to stop her actions. She can only wish for the best and hope for her safe return.

She stepped away from the opening to let Sakura walk by. Tomoyo held a lighted lamp in a knuckle-white grip and Sakura noticed this. She touched Tomoyo's hand to wordlessly tell her, _it's going to be fine._ Tomoyo smiled and handed the lamp over to her. "I'm counting on you," was Sakura's words as she let her hand go. Her amethyst eyes widened for a bit before it brightened into a smile.

Sakura was a few steps inside the tunnel when Tomoyo whispered, "Stay safe, my Queen," she curtseyed.

"Princess," Sakura corrected without looking back.

Tomoyo watched her figure until she rounded a corner and she can see her no more. _To me, you are already a Queen._

She closed the hidden passage with a click. The silence was already deafening.

Before she can decide what her next move will be, a knock came through the door. She gasped in surprise and smoothed her hand over her hair and dress in panic. Gathering her skirts, she strode towards the door. The knock immediately ceased when she pulled it open a bit and peered outside. Blue eyes met hers and she resisted the urge to frown.

Eriol smiled, "Hello, Lady Tomoyo."

"Lord Eriol," Tomoyo acknowledged with a small smile.

"There is something I must ask the Princess. May I see her?" He smiled again before trying to peer over her head to look inside the room. Tomoyo's heartbeat quickened and she hastily tip-toed to block his sight of the room. Eriol raised a brow and looked down at her.

"The Que—Princess," she cleared her throat. "She doesn't want to see anyone right now."

"I see…" They both know she's lying, but thankfully he didn't inquire any further.

Eriol quietly noted the young lady's poorly hidden nervousness and the small, black smudge on her cheek and on the back of her hand. It looked like oil and grease, which he knew are the primary ingredients needed to start a fire. What did she do and where is the Princess? If he based it on appearance, she doesn't seem like someone who would cause the majesty any harm.

Tomoyo tried to avoid his scrutinizing gaze but no avail. She quickly raked her mind to think of something–anything–to lead him away from this room. "Oh, I know!" Her voice sounded too high and too squeaky. In record speed she opened the door, stepped outside and slammed it close, making the guards posted on either side of the doorway jump in surprise. Eriol took two cautious steps backwards. She grinned toothily before taking his hand and pulling him away.

"I'll tour you around while the Princess is still busy, is that all right?" Not waiting for his reply, she practically dragged him through the whole palace, pointing various things and explaining random procedures to him.

When they entered the garden, Tomoyo introduced the different flowers, herbs and trees that grew in their country. When Eriol reached out to pluck a blooming flower that caught his eye, Tomoyo slapped his hand away with a glare. He froze, shocked.

"Only the ones who grew these flowers has the right to pick them!" She scolded with a frown before plucking the flower and giving it to him. She laughed at his dumbfounded face as he tentatively took the blossom from her small hand. _Well, this can be a bit of a problem,_ Eriol smiled to himself.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm deeply sorry for the short chapter! I'll try and write longer stuff T_T


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I am SO late with uploading and I'm very sorry ;; v ;; I actually planned to upload sooner but of course, like most plans, it didn't come with action (sob). Right now, I most likely have coffee instead of blood running in my veins because of college and I once again ran into a wall with writing XD Welp, This one's longer than usual, so enjoy please!

Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura does not belong to me in any way possible

* * *

Syaoran swallowed another yawn as the woman before him continued her monologue. She was talking about the market prices or something, but he lost interest after the first fifteen minutes of her endless speech.

He also had a confusing realization when he noticed that at some point between chattering, she had somehow began to push her bosom against his arm when he was pretty sure that she was standing at arms-length when they first started talking.

Maybe it was because he was distracted by the way her cheeks reminded him of a squirrel's whenever she spoke or because he has been more focused on watching with distaste the little beads of spit which has flown out of her mouth countless times since she started yapping, but he couldn't remember when she began to scoot towards him.

She was wearing the fashion which seemed to be popular with young ladies these days; a neckline that's a little too low and a tight– _a little too tight_ –corset that pushed her ample bosom until it nearly spilled from her bodice. He is no saint, he is a man after all, and he knows how to appreciate a woman's ' _gifts_ ', but this kind of seduction doesn't work on him. Sure, he's experienced among ladies —he smirked at the thought—but he's no pig. He has preferences and standards too.

"Syaoran!" The purr in her tone and her hand hitting his arm made him blink back to reality. "You weren't listening, were you?" She pouted, bottom lip sticking out a bit too exaggeratedly. _Who is this woman anyway?_ She just straight up walked to him and started talking. She knows his name, that's for sure, but he's not that famous, is he?

That aside, he doesn't have time for useless chatter. Those 'palace guards' are getting worse. Not only are the kidnappings getting worse, but it also seemed that the monarch is not doing anything about it. It was as if she had abandoned the crimes which started circulating around the capital about half a year ago. He should be keeping a close watch on the children…who he would search for after dealing with this woman.

 _What is the Princess thinking?_ He scowled.

The woman who currently holds the most power in this kingdom hasn't been seen in public for the past decade. He has never seen her face since he wasn't born in the capital, but he has heard rumors of different variations. Some say the Princess has been cursed and that is why she locked herself up in the castle, while some say she is a jewel to behold and to treasure said beauty, she never let any kind of filth touch her delicate skin.

It all sounds ridiculous, but he doesn't want to question how royals live their lives–life is much easier if he didn't. All he knows and cares about is the fact that she isn't doing a very good job at being a ruler.

"Syaoran!" The shrill shriek almost made him jump in surprise. What a voice this woman has! "As I was saying," the young woman cleared her throat after making sure she had his full attention, "the children needs a mother figure while growing up. If you're looking for a candidate, make sure to choose someone kind, beautiful and has a good reputation. Someone like, well, me." She finished while battering her eyelashes and flashing him a sugary sweet smile.

 _Wait. What?_ "Huh?" It wasn't the most scholarly reply, but Syaoran couldn't think of anything else. He doesn't even remember how the conversation settled to that topic. And more importantly, why they're talking about it in the first place.

The girl opened her mouth to reply but quickly closed it after casting a quick glance behind him. She ran her hand through her hair nervously before stammering, "um…I have to go…" she was gone in seconds.

Syaoran frowned and turned around out of curiosity, only to find the hilt of a sword landing straight on his temple. He groaned, and before everything dimmed to black, his only thought was, _oh for the love of Gods…_

* * *

She looked up from the maps she was analyzing and raised one dark brow at the person who entered her tent.

"Captain."

"Kai." She greeted back, stepping around the table filled with maps to properly hear his message.

"I've received orders from the kingdom, Captain. We've been gone for too long, the message says." He suddenly smiled and she can practically feel the giddiness coming off from him in waves. Her eyes nearly narrowed.

"And?" Impatience laced her tone and her fingers lightly tapped on a spot on the map–a valley of mountains which separated the Kinomoto kingdom from the abandoned land formerly called as the Great Li kingdom. That was where the rogue bandits decided to hide after they raided the nearby town.

Her platoon witnessed nothing but the aftermath. There was nothing but burnt houses and dead bodies left when they arrived at the area. It made her blood boil. And to be blunt, no one really liked hanging around her whenever that happens since she had the tendency to cut limbs off.

They had found the bandits at the foot of the tall mountains, celebrating by drinking ale and drowning in women. They attacked silently and swiftly, going after their leader first to set in the panic among the lower ranks. Then they proceeded to slaughter everyone, not leaving even a single breath of life. The battle only went on for a few hours.

After her anger had doused down, she then wondered why– _of all places–_ did they decide to camp right there? _Anyone_ with a sane mind knew better than to enter that doomed place. Past those mountains is nothing but dried land, maybe a rotting person or two, and more dead, dried land. Those thieving bastards did nothing but trap themselves.

"They've asked us to come back to the capital, Captain." The excitement was barely contained in his tone and she snapped her head up to look at him, scowling.

"What?" How many months has it been? Seven? Ten? Heck, she had forgotten. With all the bad guy chasing she'd done all over the country, she tend to forget a lot of things. But she had to admit that the timing is impeccable too, since they've just finished another clean-up operation and she's been craving for a well-deserved break.

"The Princess, Captain. She asked for you, specifically, to tighten her security. Her coronation is coming up two moons from now."

At the mention of Sakura, she nearly smiled. _Ahh._ She missed that girl dearly. That girl, with the unnerving ability to skin you with just a stare, summoned her back…wait. This is the Princess they're talking about. Sakura. _The_ Sakura. The girl who relied on no one but herself and her a-bit-too-primped lady friend. She wouldn't just ask her to come back, especially when she knows how vital her job is to the villages that scattered around her country. Unless…

Kai jumped when she suddenly placed her hand on his shoulder and nearly smirked when he visibly cowered at her touch. "Ready the men. We're going home, Kai."

His smile was almost as blinding as the sun in the sky as he replied, "Understood, Captain Rika."

* * *

"Is he dead?" An annoyingly familiar voice pulled him out of unconsciousness. He bit his tongue to keep himself from shouting. Raising his voice will only make his already throbbing head worse. _And_ it will do nothing but further amuse the owner of the oh-so-familiar voice.

"No, you idiot. He's breathing." _Another_ voice replied and at this point, he really, _really_ wanted nothing more than to have all these irritatingly high voices gone.

"Oh." _Was that disappointment?_ "That's good. I'd hate to bury him. You know how I hate digging."

"Plus, I don't think it'll do good to my nails if we have to carry him all the way to his grave. Thank goodness you didn't kill him, sister." Both voices giggled and he gritted his teeth from the pain caused by the sound. "We have to wake him up though. Ren won't be happy."

There was a hesitant pause, and he was sure that these two asses had briefly considered leaving him unconscious in the middle of the cold street. "You're right." and thus, the poking and slapping began. Together with the shouting.

"Syyyyyyaaaaaaooooraaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnn!"

Deciding that he had enough, he cracked an eye open and glared at the two women kneeling beside him. One was poking his temple–which she _herself_ bruised–and one was smiling. Not at him, but at the group of men who passed by and gave the three of them curious glances.

When she noticed that he's awake, the one who was _still_ poking his poor head slapped the shoulder of the other to get her attention. She glared at her and was about to slap her back, but upon seeing him frowning at her, she beamed. "Syaoran!" she shouted. He nearly winced from the pain.

 _For fuc–_ "I'm so glad you're alive!" Then, to his horror, she reached down and pinched both of his cheeks, pulled him up–which made him want to throw up his lunch all over her red dress–and hugged him. "I thought you were so weak you died from Feimei's slap!" no, it was _not_ a slap. And even if it was, does these women even know how strong they are?

"If you were that weak, I would've regretted not throwing you out the window when mother once asked me to babysit you. Or even smothering you with your pillow while you sleep." Feimei grinned, as if what she said wasn't horrifying to all the people within hearing range. In fact, she looked quite _proud_ she didn't proceed with her previous plans with her _own_ brother.

"Are you all right, baby brother?" When he only stared, Fanran frowned and turned to Feimei, "maybe you didn't hit him hard enough, sister." She paused for a while, thinking. "Oh! Hit him again! Harder this time, that'll bring him back to his old self."

When Feimei only nodded and raised her sword once again, He was then fully convinced that he's the only one in the family blessed with sanity. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, _sisters._ " He really didn't mean to hiss his words out, but he couldn't help himself when Fanran one again tapped his aching temple, sending bolts of pain through his head. Syaoran started considering the possible outcomes that may happen if he killed his own sisters right now.

When he glared at her, Fanran raised a brow. "My, you stare at an average set of tits and you're already distracted! Left open for the world to kill, right, sister?" Amber eyes so much like his own glared back at him. It did not hold true anger, only teasing and mockery. Which, of course, pissed him off more.

"You're right, Feimei. Such a disgrace, really. I should have stabbed him instead." Feimei smirked– _annoyingly_ reminding Syaoran of himself–and settled her hand on the shoulder of her younger sister. "I'm starting to think that I _really_ should have fed him to the wolves when he was a babe." As if she didn't sound very serious when she said that, both his sisters laughed. Well, more like cackled. It grated on his ears.

"Sisters." Syaoran ground out between clenched teeth, "what do you want?" Unless they came here just to pester him with their teasing–which they have executed quite perfectly, as always–then they should already be on their way.

Fanran gasped, seemingly offended, and pressed her palm close to her heart. "How cruel! We simply want to bless you with our presence!"

Syaoran snorted and rolled his eyes. He stood up, dusting himself off. His sisters followed suit, smiling as they straightened their pretty dresses–which he'd never seen before. He never really knew how they keep getting these new clothes. He knows for sure that he's not giving them his gold pouch. Doing that will be like giving a dead carcass to hungry vultures. However, to keep his sanity intact, he's not going to start asking now.

"Come, we're tired from our travels. Feed us!" Each sister looped her arm around one of his and with brutal strength, they dragged him to the nearest pub. They stopped when Syaoran dug his heels on the paved ground. Both sisters simultaneously turned their heads and glared at him.

It was a bit haunting to see. They weren't twins–Feimei is older than Fanran by at least four years–yet how they manage to do the same things at the _same_ time, he has no idea.

"Wait. You two were gone? From the city?" He really didn't think he had hidden from his sisters long enough to forget their presence. He did not forget they exist–that is highly _impossible_ –he simply got used to them not being on his side, tormenting him.

Since when had he started avoiding them again? _Four…six months ago?_ Well, maybe even longer. Cruel as it sounds, no one can blame him for _desperately_ wanting to separate himself from his sisters, really. If you're kin to these two mad women, you can understand that these two are demon spawns hidden beneath pretty gowns and pretty faces.

Still, it all made sense now. His home is only a few houses from where his sisters live–Gods know he's going to poison himself if he stayed under the same roof with his sisters any more than he already had–and usually it wasn't hard for them to track him down, but these past few weeks has been rather different. Not only was it quiet and peaceful, he _also_ doesn't have new cuts and bruises on any part of his body. _Dammit…_ just when he was starting to enjoy it.

"You don't have to look so excited to see us, brother." There was sarcasm in her voice, but Fanran giggled.

"You know very well that we love and miss you. Now, let's go eat!" with a grin, Feimei once again started dragging Syaoran.

He sighed. If only his sisters are as unreliable as they look, he won't have a hard time hating them.

* * *

Sakura sneezed. _Damn cobwebs._ She glanced up and saw the midday sun. A sigh escaped her lips. If _only_ she didn't lose her way down in the tunnels, she would've arrived as she had estimated. The exit of the tunnels led to the back of the town stables–thankfully, a very secluded place–near the edge of the capital and with years of being unused, the trap door which led outside became stuck. When she finally opened the damn piece of wood, endless dust rained down on her, making her sneeze until her nose hurt and tears rolled down her cheeks.

Frankly, this hasn't been the best experience in her life so far.

"Hey, lady." Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around, ready to give a lecture about sneaking up on people, only…no one was there. Then she looked down and found brown eyes peering quizzically up at her through long black lashes.

"Oh. Hi there." She crouched down and smiled at the child, sincerely hoping with all her might that she didn't see her coming out of the hidden door a few minutes ago.

"You went through a portal," _Dammit._ "and you're red and crying," frail hands reached up and small palms pressed on either sides of her cheek, "are you okay?"

Sakura, stunned that a small girl had no qualms about touching a stranger, only nodded in response.

"Where's your mommy?" The girl asked, blinking. "Your daddy?"

She smiled at the innocent question. The little girl's probably a bit too young to understand. She doesn't look a day over six. "My mommy and daddy are in the place above the clouds, guarding over me."

Then, to her surprise, the girl beamed at her. "Mine too! Daddy died before I was born and Syaoran said mommy had to go above the clouds because of evil people. But I'm never lonely! I have Ren and Syaoran and–"

"Rui?" A shadow suddenly fell over them and the little girl– _Rui_ , Sakura assumed–visibly tensed. Sakura looked up, only to see dark brown eyes glaring at her. Then she glanced back at the girl who was suddenly trying very hard not to cry.

"I'm sorry…" Without looking at the boy behind her, she fiddled with the ends of her pale dress and her toes, unprotected by shoes, drew random circles on the ground. "I did not stray away in purpose. I just heard banging and–"

" _You know better than to rush off on your own!"_ Even Sakura was surprised at how a little boy's voice can be that loud.

Rui jumped. That was when the dam broke. Wails assaulted Sakura's ears and she fought the urge to cover them as Rui stretched her arms towards her, flailing. Confused–and a little scared–she looked at the little boy who now has his balled fists on his hips and wore the most annoyed expression she had ever seen on a child.

"Well?" Hearing her brother's–it wasn't difficult to figure out since they looked very much _alike_ –annoyed tone, Rui only cried harder and now desperately tried to reach for Sakura, who's also _desperately_ trying to avoid her hands. Now clearly exasperated, the boy stomped his feet and gestured to his sister. " _What are you waiting for?_ "

 _What?_ Sakura knew without having to look in front of a mirror that she now has the most stupid look on her face but she couldn't help it. It's not that she hated kids–they amuse her, actually–it's simply because living beyond those walls with people who has an issue about noise practically means that you don't get to see children running down the halls and ruining paintings and antique objects which she secretly detested.

Last time she saw children was three years ago–the youngest son of the visiting duke. And it was when Tomoyo, who was in the castle at that time, was holding the ' _little brat_ ' by his feet and shaking him that Sakura had walked inside the room. When she sarcastically asked why in the hell was she committing child abuse, Tomoyo simply glared at her and said, ' _he stole my cupcake!'_

The fact that the little boy was giggling throughout the whole time apparently did not comfort his parents enough to let him come by the castle again. That was when the rumor that Sakura tortured children in the dungeons spread around like wildfire. It had taken a _huge_ amount of effort to clear her name, but even when it was already squeaky clean, the damage has been done. Since then there had been zero children in the castle.

To be quite blunt, Sakura doesn't like children enough to put up with their random screaming, talkativeness and their tendency to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. They were simply too much of a distraction. And she doesn't like distractions. She most _especially_ doesn't like them when they're screaming and crying at the same time. Like right now.

Letting out a pained groan as if looking at the two of them was physically hurting him– _why is this brat so damn dramatic?–_ the boy rolled his eyes and lifted his arms, his hands poised as if he was holding something, then moved his arms up and down. When Sakura still didn't get it, he sighed deeply and nearly shouted in frustration, " _Carry her!_ "

Because she was surprised, and a bit scared of the boy to be honest, she quickly obliged. Rui's sobs toned down automatically and her arms wrapped around her neck. Sakura stood up and smoothed her hand down her back. Then she turned to the boy who was muttering about _'clueless, frustrating females'_ under his breath. He looked back at her and stared, sizing her up. She suddenly felt as if she was in a trial on court.

Now if this is a six foot man, Sakura wouldn't have a hard time making him regret his eyes stayed on her longer than necessary, but the boy is barely over three feet and she was pretty sure normal children don't do these sort of things.

"You have eyes like grass." Sakura bit her tongue. _Grass._ "That's not normal," he continued after looking over her once more. How he can analyze her so well with her hood covering nearly half of her face, she has no idea, "are you the Princess?"

 _Uh-oh._ Sakura opened her mouth to quickly evade his suspicion but he quickly smirked and shook his head.

"Wait, forget I asked. I'm sure the Princess is a lot prettier than you." _Why you little– "_ let's go." Then he started walking away.

"Where are we going?" Sakura glanced at the still crying girl in her arms. Fortunately, her sobs weren't as worse when it first started but _unfortunately,_ her snot and tears is now on her cloak. She has a distinct feeling that Tomoyo will be lecturing her once she stepped back into the castle.

He looked at her over his shoulder, through his pretty lashes, and Sakura could see this boy carrying that habit as he grew up. Along with all the women tripping over from that one look. She raised a brow when she realized that look meant ' _just follow me'_.

The boy glanced left and right as they entered the main street–him leading, Sakura following. It was a busy, normal day. People socializing, merchants selling their merchandise behind stalls and some capital guards patrolling. Yet she a bad feeling settled on the pit of her stomach. It was as she expected, but it didn't feel right.

As if seeing something he doesn't like, the boy quickly back stepped, as if to turn back and run, but as he glanced at his sister who now rested quietly in her arms, he seemed to change his mind and opted to walk beside her. "Give me your hand." He opened his palm and reached for her hand impatiently, "make sure you hide your face. You might not be _that_ pretty, but you're still a girl."

Resisting the urge to backhand the brat instead of take his hand, Sakura shuffled a bit to shift Rui's weight on one arm before slipping her now unoccupied hand into his small ones. Only then did she notice that his hand was ice cold. It was shaking lightly too, but he was doing an impressive job of hiding it. Whatever he saw, it scared him to the point of almost cowering, but he bravely fought the urge. In that instant, she felt nothing but awe for the child.

"Rui, be quiet, all right?" She felt the little girl nod and tighten her hold around her neck. She must've sensed the slight panic in her brother's voice.

"Walk casually. We'll turn to the next corner on your right." Sakura nodded and did as he instructed. With every step they took she can feel the boy's hand tightening around hers, loosen, and tighten again.

"Halt." That single word seemed to be the undoing of the boy. He visibly shook, released her hand and hid behind her, fisting her cloak into a white-knuckled grip.

It was a palace guard. He was dressed in light armor with a sword strapped around his waist. It was the common uniform for the guards, but what made Sakura narrow her eyes suspiciously is how his armor seemed a size bigger than his body. She knows for a fact that palace uniforms are all custom-made.

"What can I do for you, kind sir?" She asked in her best nonchalant voice.

He leaned forward and swayed a bit. Sakura fought back the desire to step back and gag when the smell of alcohol mixed with someone who hasn't bathed in a while reached her nose. "You're a woman." He leered.

It took Sakura no less than a minute to notice how women were scarce the moment they walked through the main street. Now she knows that it definitely has something to do with these men dressing as palace guards.

"That I am, sir." He doesn't look like the smartest tool in the shed and he was very drunk. Sakura can use that to her advantage.

As if hearing some kind of approval to touch her, he quickly snatched her arm. Even with her cloak and her dress beneath it, she can still feel his fingers disgustingly leaving marks on her skin as if his touch alone seared her. She mentally cringed, but physically did nothing but glance at his grip.

"Mind having fun then?"

She can hear the boy whimpering. It was obvious that this wasn't the first time he witnessed this sort of thing.

"I'd like to but…" _Add in hesitant pause for effect…_

He frowned and released her, leaning back as if to look at her properly. "Why?"

"My husband," she sniffed, tears that she practiced when she was younger running down her cheeks, "he left me. See, I'm sick. This seemingly contagious disease has now spread across half my face and marring my skin." Then she let out a sob.

As if her words had burned him, he took a quick step away from her. His eyes and mouth were wide open in disgust.

"But," she stepped towards to him and, making sure Rui isn't crushed between them, splayed her hand on his shoulder and pulled herself closer, "if you insist, kind sir, I would _gladly_ have a lot of fun with you. Your words has relit the fire in my body," she drew circles with her fingertip on his armored chest. Then she whispered against his ear, "It's _burning._ "

He screamed and scrambled away from her, tripping in the process. "I–" he stammered, "U-um…" and then he was running away as if he couldn't wait to her out of his sight.

"Come." She took the boy's hand once again and practically dragged him to the turn he instructed about earlier.

"Run." He glanced back from where they came, "he's going to get his comrades. Run. _Run!_ "

Sakura doesn't need any more urging. She snatched the boy's hand and quickly ran down the less crowded street, dodging random people and small stalls that littered the way. She can hear Rui crying. She wanted to comfort her, but she couldn't. Not now. Not when she can hear the heavy _pairs_ of feet hot on her trail. She briefly worried that the boy wouldn't be able to keep up but he was surprisingly a fast runner and she guessed that skill came from experience.

"Halt!" One shouted and Sakura knew that they were gaining on them. She wanted to run faster, to save herself and these children, but she knew that her body is quickly reaching its limits. Her legs ached and her breaths came into short, heavy pants. Rui's body suddenly felt tons heavier than it did a few minutes ago and her vision started to blur. _Dammit…_

The boy led them from the busy streets, pulling her to a narrower path. Sakura can hear them shouting for them, ordering them to stop and surrender. They turned to a right, then a left. The false guards were still hot on their trail and by now they were running through deserted streets.

She could tell them who she really was, what her rank is, but since she hasn't showed her face to anyone for nearly a decade, she doubted any of them would recognize her. And seeing that she's not in her usual garments, no one would believe her claim either.

"Over there!" The boy, who was surprisingly still keeping up with her longer steps, pointed at the stone arch that loomed about twenty feet away, "we'll be safer over there! Hurry!"

Sakura willed her legs to move a bit more. _A little more…_ by now the guards were simply a few feet away from her. She can feel their greed, the smugness they feel now that they know they can easily catch her. And they would, she knew, that men like them wouldn't let anything go between them and their prey.

She heard the boy sigh a breath of relief as they passed under the arch, but it quickly turned into a scream when the men still ran after them, seemingly not noticing the structure.

"You guys!" The boy shouted over his shoulder, "this is way past the terri–" his words were either cut off or her ears shut him off as she tripped over a jutting piece of stone on the pavement. A sharp gasp left her lips when she felt the ground coming closer. She acted quickly, turning on her side and putting her arms around Rui to protect her from the impact. She hit the solid ground with a loud thud and felt pain flare up on her shoulder.

Biting her tongue to keep herself from screaming, she looked down to check up on Rui. At the same time, those wide brown eyes also peered up on her, brimming with unshed tears. _At least she's safe._

Sakura was still panting. Her ears were ringing and everything seemed to be spinning. But she can hear the boy speaking– _shouting._ She willed herself to breath, to calm herself, but it wasn't working. It was doing the exact opposite of what she wanted to happen. She felt trapped, chained, as if there was a collar tightening around her throat and choking her. Her vision narrowed and blurred even further. She can feel her stomach churning, threatening to spit her lunch out of her mouth.

"Lady?" Rui's question turned into a shriek of surprise as she was forcefully snatched away from her grip, arms flailing and eyes wide with fear. That was what pulled Sakura out of her small panic attack. She couldn't afford to break down now. With that in mind, she controlled her breathing.

"Let her go!" The boy, now held back by one of their pursuers, shouted, " _Let her go now!_ "

"This one will fetch a high price, right lads?" The one who held Rui by the back of her dress laughed, raising her up and shaking her lightly, eliciting a hysterical cry from the small girl.

"Stop." Sakura forced out in a strained voice as she pushed herself up from the ground, ignoring her protesting shoulder. Her hand gripped the edge of her cloak–which miraculously hasn't fallen off–and was ready to pull it from her head when she saw it.

If she wasn't trained to always keep an observant eye she wouldn't have noticed it. A silhouette moving fast across the stray shadows lining the edge of the structures which lined the deserted street. With a jump and a flash of blue, the silhouette who turned out to be a beautiful woman landed silently behind the men. Her amber eyes met hers and her mouth lightly turned up in a faint smile. A long, slender fingertip touched her lips, signaling her to be quiet.

"Ah!" She exclaimed, making the men jump in surprise and turn back to look at her. Apparently they recognized her, because they immediately withdrew their swords, poised and ready to attack at any moment. "What do we have here?" She made that 'tsktsk' sound which Sakura found annoying on most people. It oddly sounds threatening when it came from the woman.

In a blink of an eye, another woman appeared in front of Sakura. This one was a bit shorter than the first, wearing a red dress which showed off curves most women would kill to have. Her hair was the same color as the first woman, only hers was neatly put into a bun. "Seems there are _rats_ scurrying around the cat's territory." The newcomer said.

The men, now looking very panicked and scared, started to back off.

"Release the children." The one in blue ordered, eyes coldly raking over the men before her. As if the king himself had asked for it, they quickly obliged. Both children hurriedly ran to Sakura's side, hands on either of her arms, helping her stand up.

"Rui, Ren, lead the pretty lady away, please." The woman in red said without looking at them, keeping her eyes trained in front of her. The children quickly followed her, turning Sakura around and walking a few feet away so they won't see what will happen next. She had a feeling that there will be a lot of blood involved in the next few minutes and to put it frankly, she's not looking forward to it.

"We released the brats. Now let us leave in peace!" There was so much panic and fear in that one sentence that Sakura nearly spun around and laughed at the face of the speaker.

"Hmm…we could," one of the women said–the one wearing the blue dress, Sakura assumed.

"But where would be the fun in that? We have to send a message so your men would think twice before setting foot here ever again." As soon those words were out, screams of pain and death filled the quiet street. Sakura closed her eyes and willed herself not to look back.

It only took a couple of minutes, Sakura knew, yet it felt like eons. She was tense. Yes, those women saved them, but who can say that they themselves wouldn't skin them alive and use it as neck warmers for winter? When a hand was casually placed on her shoulder, she nearly hissed in surprise.

"It's fine," the woman in red grinned, as if sensing her tension. "It's been handled." There was no trace of blood on her, or maybe the color of her dress made it unnoticeable.

"You're safe with us," the one in blue smiled, and it felt uncanny at how they smiled the exact same way. It's like their _eyes_ did the action before their mouths. "Those bastards should know better than to step foot here." She looked over her shoulder and might as well spat with the expression she wore.

"You're not from around her." It was not a question and Sakura, despite feeling embarrassed by her ignorance of her own land, nodded meekly.

"What's your name?" They simultaneously shot their hands out to pull the hood from her head and Sakura quickly ducked out of their reach, biting her tongue when pain exploded on her shoulder.

Two pairs of amber eyes narrowed the slightest bit, before they leaned back at the _exact_ same time, looked at her from head to toe, and grinned like a cat.

"My, my…" Red.

"Are you a little rat as well?" Blue.

"She's not!" It was Rui. Of course, she was ignored.

"She is." Then to her utter shock and surprise, the two elegant-looking women _leaped_ at her like a pair of rabid animals. A sharp squeal escaped her throat and she tried to back off, but only ended up falling painfully on her butt. She felt hands tugging at her cloak and, accepting that she couldn't fight them off at this point, she opted to cover her face with both hands instead.

The piece of cloth was forcefully tugged away from her body and the sounds of disappointed "Aww!" when they still can't see her face nearly made her order their beheading. _Nearly_. Sakura is still debating which part of the day is the worst. Are these two really the same cold-blooded killers a few moments ago? Because right now they seem more like annoying meddling cousins to her.

 **X**

Syaoran landed silently behind his sisters, taking note of the cowering– _what?–_ girl before them, covering her face while desperately trying to avoid his sisters' prying hands. He gave a short glance at the mini-massacre site, knowing that his sisters did that, then turned to Ren and Rui. They stood a few feet from the trio of women, Rui looking very concerned over the brown-haired girl while Ren looking as if he'd rather be at another place.

"Are you two hurt?" He was just wondering where the siblings went when he heard Ren scream. It made his blood run cold, not only because he knew that Ren would not do that since he liked acting very tough despite being a sensitive brat in the core, but also because where there is a Ren, there will always be a Rui tagging not far behind him. Despite Ren being older by at least three years, those two are inseparable.

He met with his sisters as he was planning to attack, but they simply ordered him to alert Phil, who would be cleaning the bodies left in the aftermath as soon as possible. He liked Phil, not only does he not ask unnecessary questions like "why is there always a fresh batch of corpses whenever your sisters are around?" but he also tolerated the annoying chatterboxes he hesitantly called his sisters. That alone pushed Phil up among the ranks of people he liked.

"No," Rui glanced at him before her worried gaze ran back to the small lady. Syaoran noticed how interesting her hair color is. It was definitely a shade of brown, but when hit with the faintest ray of sun, he could see the small bit amount of red shining in it. "But she's hurt, Syaoran. We fell and she hit her shoulder."

Syaoran took a sidelong glance at Ren, who only shrugged and used his lips to point at his sisters who, at this point, is now trying to wrestle the girl to the ground. All while wearing that infamous 'crazed' grins. He was surprised the girl wasn't crying yet.

Feimei gave a triumphant cheer when she finally pried the girl's hands off her face, only to blow the stray tendrils of hair from her face when she saw that the girl had her eyes closed. Syaoran frowned. That girl is definitely not from here. Not with those skin that looked very smooth, not to mention her complexion, and the way she subtly tried pull her dress back down her legs with her now free hand, suggesting that this girl is not used to wearing skirts which does not reach past her calves.

Not only that, but he _knew_ that if the girl came from the same parts of the capital he and his sisters did, there would be a lot of blood by now. Yes, definitely a noble.

Sighing and deciding that his sisters had tortured the poor girl enough, he gripped them by their bodice and pulled. Fanran squealed while Feimei glared at him over her shoulder. He returned it with a glare of his own, making her pout and look away. Honestly, if his mother was still alive he'd ask, in all seriousness, who came out of her womb first.

"Stop," he glanced once again at the girl who was now cowering from them, eyes still closed. _Why?_ "You rescue her, only to terrify her more than those men did?" He gestured to the bloody pile behind them with a tilt of his head.

"Actually–" he immediately cut Feimei off with one look.

"Sorry…" Between his sisters, Fanran has always been, despite the _very little_ difference, the one with more sense. Feimei is always the one who will start the horseshit, dragging Fanran with her and, more often than not, him as well. Guess who always fixes the troubles they caused? Yes, _him_. The _responsible little brother._

With a look that clearly says ' _stay', h_ e released his sisters and crouched in front of the girl. "Are you all right?" He asked and he saw her tense up a bit when she heard his voice. She only nodded but didn't open her mouth, so he continued. "Look, you're obviously injured. And even if you don't like it, you'll be coming with us so we can fix you up." Her face formed a small frown and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling.

"Syaoran will feed you too!" Feimei teased behind him. Just to annoy her back, he blatantly ignored her.

He sighed. "Come, open your eyes." When she didn't budge, he added with a chuckle, "or I'll carry you."

At that moment her eyelids snapped open and jade eyes glared at him through thick lashes. Her angry gaze lasted for a couple of seconds until she blinked then simply stared at him, tilting her head the slightest bit to the side. He felt as if she was stripping him naked in the worst way possible. He watched her pupils constrict then dilate in the weirdest way possible, but frankly he was feeling a bit too much unnerved by her stare to be freaked out.

He was about to ask her what the hell was wrong with her when he saw the lightest spark in her eyes. No, he wasn't talking figuratively. He meant there were _literally_ sparks of lightning dancing in her emerald gaze. It drew him it and before he knew it, he was being swallowed.

His surroundings changed. His sisters, Rui and Ren, and even the girl was gone. He looked down and suddenly, instead of the pavement, he was kneeling on soot and ash. Above him, storm clouds rolled, thunders boomed and lightning flashed relentlessly. The smell of war and burning flesh made him look up to the piles of dead bodies, cattle and ruined carriages. Men marched in front of him, mouths open in silent screams and bloody swords raised in triumph, walking past him and clearly oblivious to his presence.

Suddenly, he knew where he was. He was dragged back _here_ , to the place he'd buried so far back in his mind and disregarded it as a nightmare. Screams of women rang in his ears but he couldn't see where they came from. It was as if the owner of the voices were around him. They sounded so far away, yet they were coming closer, shouting one name. _Xiao Lang!_ over and over again.

"Syaoran."

"Syaoran!" Feimei's voice shocked him back to reality and he jerked back, falling on his ass and panting. "I've been calling your name for the past minute! What happened?" She was kneeling beside him, one hand on his shoulder and one on his heaving chest.

He couldn't answer. Not when the images were now once again seared to his brain like a fresh mark. He opened his mouth, about to say what he can manage–which are nothing but grunts–but the girl beat him to it.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered, barely heard through her short pants. She had her head bowed down, arms braced in front of her as if to keep her from falling face-first on the ground. "I'm sorry." She repeated, and Syaoran was pretty certain that she wasn't referring to what she just did.

He closed his eyes and swallowed. "Come," he gently took her wrists and pulled her up to stand. _Gods, she's shaking._ Jade eyes looked at him again, as if confirming something, but quickly looked away.

"Dear Gods," Fanran gasped loudly behind them. He looked at her in question. "I've been trying to shake off the feeling that I've seen you before. I thought I was wrong," her brows furrowed and she bit her lip, as she always does when she's trying to remember something. "The last time you went out, was at your mother's burial, was it not?" In that instant, the tension in the air became thicker, and he can feel the girl freeze before him. "Feimei and Syaoran wasn't with me, but I came here to check the property we were planning to buy. You–you were standing by the main doors, far from the crowds. I knew it. It was you."

Then, to everyone's surprise, she curtseyed. "Princess."

Willing himself not to hiss in a shocked breath, he slowly turned his head back at the girl who now looked right at his sister with calculating cold eyes. All he could think was… _Godsdammit._

* * *

 **A/N:** Thereee...I introduced a lot of characters. I really enjoyed writing about Feimei and Fanran a lot. I don't have siblings who I can use as inspirations, but I do have three younger cousins and I spent most of my childhood trying to stop them from tearing each others' hair and eyeballs out because at eight years old, I am supposed to be the 'reliable big sis' and I should take care of my cousins (who were bordering on barbaric). Amusing? Yes. Frustrating? _V_ _ery._ Traumatizing? Possibly.

Also, a quick question or two, what do _you_ think is Sakura's hair color? Thank you everyone for the reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Well, I originally planned to update around mid-March but it's difficult to write when you're having constant writer's blocks while dealing with academics at the same time. T_T I'm sorry it took a while, but here you go! The chapters are getting longer but I think I'll stick to 6k-8k words per chappie…hmmm…

Oh and also, I re-read the whole story from the start and I wanted to smack my 15-year-old self. I'll try and edit the first few chapters when I'm done uploading all the chapters because there were _so many mistakes_ it's just pure cringe.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura in any form. This work is purely fiction, any likeness it has to anything in real life is purely coincidental.

* * *

Syaoran wiped the sweat off his brow then looked up at the blaring midday sun through the gaps of his fingers. It's definitely a lot hotter than it was just a few weeks ago, and he's guessing that the upcoming summer is to blame for it. Soon, his sisters would do nothing but complain about the heat and will start annoying him even further.

Sighing, he lifted the hem of his linen shirt and used it to wipe at his temples, smearing sweat, dirt and some bits of blood on the fabric. He finished training with the soldiers a moment ago, and now he's perspiring non-stop and is desperate for a bath and a lot of food.

It has been three days since their last meeting with the Princess. After his sisters had fixed and dressed her bruised shoulder, the three of them had gone out of the room to talk about what they plan to do with her. Had she run away? Based on the garments she wore, the three of them had reached the conclusion that she did. But what was the reason?

Their peaceful talk soon turned into noisy bickering–mostly between Feimei and Fanran–and when Syaoran had enough, he strolled back into the room to check on the royal, only to find her gone. The fluttering cloth that hang over the holed wall was the only sign of her exit. None of them had thought that she would suddenly run away with her aching shoulder, more so, no one expected her to straight-up leave through the window.

He heard a sounding bark behind him and he turned around and smiled. Two dogs, one dark and one light, trotted towards him, tails wagging and tongues lolling out of their mouths in excitement. He crouched, giving them welcoming pets and rubs, and they practically bounced from happiness.

Syaoran was never one to take care of strays , but about a year ago, when he was out hunting some fresh boar meat under his sisters' continuous commands, he found two puppies by the side of the road. Both were lying on the ground, whimpering. But what squeezed his heard was seeing all the blood and the slash on the neck of the dark-furred one. His companion was whimpering and licking his face, but when he sensed him, the pup quickly bared his fangs and used his body to cover his dying friend.

He stared into those little puppy eyes and he understood that underneath the aggression and anger towards a stranger, there lies the pleading and desperation for help. And so he did. He gently took both of them and nursed them back to health.

He originally meant to send them off once they're both well–because no way is he going to try and domesticate _wild_ dogs–but they refused to leave his side and when his sisters saw the two 'adorable puppies' they only squealed in pure delight and brought them home. And a few days after that Fanran started calling the white-furred one 'Gon' and the black-furred one 'Jin'. He thought at first it absolutely sounded terrible, but since neither Syaoran nor Feimei can think of better names, it stuck.

Seeing that his sisters can barely manage themselves much less _two_ pets, Syaoran then had the unspoken task of taking care of the now-grown dogs. He doesn't keep them locked in his house and they usually disappear into the woods–probably to hunt some bunnies–for quite some time but they always come back to his side, playful and bouncing with excitement.

He chuckled when Jin placed his front paws on his shoulder and started licking his face. His previous injury had miraculously healed, but the wound had damaged the portion of his throat which allowed him to make any sounds, and so up to this day he remained silent. But nevertheless, Syaoran adores him as much as he would if he wasn't mute.

"Well, well, well…" The teasing tone made him look up and his smile turned into a full-blown grin. Standing before him is none other than Rika, Captain of the second and tenth platoon of the King's army. She smiled in return as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her.

They met a few years back in the local pub, where Syaoran usually came by when his sisters' teasing became too much for him. He stared at her then, taking in her dark-brown hair cut short on shoulder level and her hardened brown eyes. She was of tall stature with sun-kissed skin and long brawny legs. When he looked more carefully, he noticed the light, faded scars peeking from the collar of her shirt and he knew even without looking at her calloused hands that she was a seasoned warrior. She had offered to pay for his ale and the rest was history.

The next day as he was experiencing a serious case of headache, he saw her in the training grounds with the soldiers. She waved at him and beckoned him to come closer and he blindly obliged. That was when she tossed him a sword and asked for a duel. She surprised him with her skills and their match ended in a draw.

After that Syaoran started coming to the training grounds as much as he can, becoming fast friends with Rika. She was a lieutenant back then, but with her skills and quick-wit even in the face of battle, she's quickly climbing ranks. Rumor has it that she's to be promoted to General very soon.

"When did you come back?" Syaoran asked once he released her from his tight hold. Since her promotions, Rika had been assigned to lead the platoons whose task was to travel across the country to make sure everything is in check. She is like the leader of a mobile army, which sounds pretty amazing if you ask Syaoran.

"A few hours after sunbreak," Rika grinned, scratching Gon and Jin behind their ears as they pressed against her side. "I've been summoned."

"Summoned?" Syaoran frowned. "What for?"

"The Princess's coronation." She then sighed and ran her hands through her hair. It's a lot longer now, a clear indication that she hadn't had much time for any sort of relaxation.

Syaoran was tempted to go ahead and rat about the Princess, but he bit his tongue to hold himself back. "At least you're home now." He grinned once again, "this calls for a trip to the pub. Let's go!"

And go they did, chatting and laughing as they caught up on each other's lives.

* * *

Eriol stared, unblinking, at the bowl of water before him. Gently, he lifted one finger and touched its tip to the water, creating the slightest amount of ripples as he whispered a spell under his breath. The water churned and swirled until it showed a faint image.

His blue eyes took everything in, never once straying even as blood spurted and severed limbs reflected on the surface of the water. He simply stared, his gaze unwavering, his eyes never showing any remorse or disgust as he saw the seemingly endless amount of bodies piling up one after another.

Then as the scene moved to the person who was standing amidst the bloodshed, the pure water turned red, then eventually, darkened to black. Eriol closed his eyes and leaned back, letting out a tired breath. _He_ had seen him. _He_ sensed him and blocked his vision. But the fact that _he_ still isn't strong enough to trace his magic gave him hope. He rubbed his temples in frustration.

He couldn't figure out how to stall the impending danger any longer and at this point, he's not so sure if he can manage to do anything at all. With each passing day _he_ grows stronger and he knew that it would only be a matter of time before _he_ forces the world to bend under his will.

Deciding that he doesn't want to spend any more of his day wallowing in trepidation, he gathered his robes and walked out of his chambers. He wandered aimlessly through the halls until he passed by the great dining room, where he saw a familiar figure standing by one corner, talking with a servant in hushed whispers.

She stopped, noticing his presence, then turned around and gave him a tight smile.

"My lord," she curtseyed, "Have you rested well? You seem rather pale."

Eriol didn't have the luxury of time to study all the different laws and the vast history of this country, but he was very certain that there is a great rift between nobles and servants in this land, especially inside the palace.

As if sensing his unspoken question, Tomoyo hurriedly gathered her skirts and walked towards him. On the corner of his eye he saw the servant bow her head before quietly exiting the hall through one of the large doorways.

"I saw nothing," he eased out a smile when the lady before him kept giving him threatening stares.

"Oh," amethyst eyes brightened and the hands that she had clasped in front of her loosened to her sides. "That's good," he noticed the small sigh that escaped her lips. "Very good."

A long silence passed between them, with Tomoyo smoothing her hands over her skirts and Eriol raking his brain for something to say. To say that he felt like a fool right at this very moment is an understatement.

"What do you do on your free time, my lord?" Tomoyo finally asked when the silence became unbearable.

Surprised by her question, Eriol cleared his throat before he can answer, "I mostly spend my time in the library, but since I'm not in my homeland, it seems like it'd be a waste if I do things I can always do when I get back home."

"Then," Tomoyo started, staring at his blue eyes, "Would you like to see the market? I don't know if you'd like places that are too crowded, but there are stalls there that sells things that can only be found in this kingdom," she smiled, visibly looking excited and giddy.

Eriol, unprepared for her unusual suggestion, raised a brow. "If my memory serves me well, the Lady and the Princess are not allowed to leave the palace. Are you suggesting we sneak out, my lady?"

"No!" Tomoyo replied a bit too loud and a bit too defensively. Embarrassed, she cleared her throat and muttered an apology. "Only the Princess can't go out. Nobles like you can I can freely enter and leave the Palace whenever we want as long as we have the permission."

Her reply puzzled him a bit. Judging from her pale complexion, lady Tomoyo clearly hasn't been going out under the sun. _Even though she sounds like she likes the outdoors…?_

Curious, and also a bit concerned, he asked, "Then how come you don't go out once in every while? You sound like you haven't seen the market in a long time," Eriol noticed the sudden hesitation that washed over her face and he quickly opened his mouth to apologize, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude. You don't have to answ-"

"Sakura–I mean, the Princess, she needs me. She and I only had each other for a long while. It seemed a bit wrong if I leave her side when she's been locked inside this huge place all by herself," she looked down and toyed with her gloves. She remained silent for a while and did her best to look at everything but him. Her face was flushed, as if she realized she said something very out of character.

Somehow, Eriol never noticed that the lady and the Princess were in such a close relationship. He thought they are always seen together due to their blood ties. If his memory served him well, lady Tomoyo's and the Princess's mother were second cousins.

He also hasn't noticed until now that lady Tomoyo can look so adorable when embarrassed.

"I see, " Eriol couldn't help but chuckle, and it earned him a glare. "No, no. Don't misunderstand, my lady. I simply realized that even though you look like an average noble, you're actually much more caring and gentle than most nobility I've met," he gave her his first genuine smile since he stepped foot on this land. "Trust me, with all the travelling I've done for my country, I've met a lot."

To his utter astonishment, Lady Tomoyo blushed even further. From her cheeks down to the exposed flesh below her collarbone, she reddened. "I-I…" realizing her unusual behavior, she scowled and quickly regained her composure. "Thank you, my lord, for such kind words," she smiled. "Before we go out, do you mind if I change for a bit? I suggest you do, too. Something less…flashy," her hand gestured to his clothing. "Men tend to wear waistcoats and trousers over robes in our land."

"Oh." Eriol looked down at his long-sleeved robe that brushed the floor the slightest bit. He suddenly felt silly for coming unprepared with clothes that fit this country better.

Sensing his discomfort, Tomoyo quickly added, "A-ah! I'm not implying that your country's clothes are unwelcome here. It will attract too much attention if you wear foreign clothes, I just think you'll have more peace of mind if the locals aren't flocking towards you from every direction." She apologized.

"I understand, lady Tomoyo, and I thank you for your concern. However, it is my first time in your kingdom, and I don't have clothes that match your…fashion," he looked at her from head to toe, noting her cream-colored floor length gown with a square neck-lined bodice and puffy skirt. Her hair, which he never saw untied, was up into a neat bun on the nape of her neck and held with a single lace bow.

"Don't worry! I'll have something sent up to your room. Leave it up to me," she grinned, eyes lighting up. She suddenly looked like a little girl about to get a new toy.

Eriol chuckled, "You seem very skilled in clothes, my lady. I understand that all ladies have the innate gift of beautifully dressing themselves, but you dress men as well?" He meant that as to tease, but it seemed to go over the lady's head.

"It runs in the family," Tomoyo replied as she started towards the large doorway at the other side of the room, her heeled shoes clicking softly as it made contact against the cool marble floors. "Have you seen the painting of the royal family in the Great hall? My mother always dressed them for events such as those." Though her back was facing him, he could sense her delight as she said those words.

Eriol paused for a moment, thinking, before he can answer, "Ah, yes. The royal family sure is beautiful. Though I did notice that there was another family member that I haven't seen yet in person. The Prince?" lady Tomoyo suddenly stopped and Eriol nearly bumped into her back.

Her shoulders tensed slightly and she took a quick intake of air before she could say, "The prince has been dead for years, my lord. I suggest you do not mention him to anyone else in this kingdom."

"I see," so he accidentally strayed into restricted waters… "I apologize, my lady. That was crass of me," he bowed.

"No, don't worry," she turned to face him and he saw the corners of her mouth quirk up a bit. "But I warn you not to mention that in front of the Princess."

"Noted, my lady." He straightened and smiled at her. She stared at him, and it concerned him when she didn't say a word for a long moment. "Lady Tomoyo?"

"A-ah!" She blinked and looked away, clearly looking embarrassed at her action. "In any case, I'll have a servant send something to your room, and I'll meet you in the garden area once I'm done. B-by the entrance leading to the gates," in a clumsy gathering of skirts and hasty steps, she turned to a corner and disappeared out of sights.

Eriol stood there for a moment, replaying their short conversation in his head again and again. Then he sighed, catching himself, and made a beeline to his designated quarters.

* * *

His sisters' house was suspiciously quiet when he stepped inside. The floorboards creaked as he made his way to the small drawing room, where he knew Fanran liked to spend countless hours simply reading books. The stacks of books that were usually all around Fanran's reading chair was still there, but his sister was nowhere to be found; and the lanterns weren't lit despite the increasing darkness caused by the setting sun.

He then went up the second floor and to Feimei's room where he knew she spends most of her time locked in whenever she's not out causing mayhem. The silence was deafening and, he had to admit, a bit eerie. Being in his sister's house but not seeing nor hearing anyone of them feels very, very strange.

Syaoran knocked on his Feimei's door once, then twice. Thrice. But there was no answer. Sighing, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. He took in the current state of the room; messy –unmade bed and random things scattered on the floor such as parchment, ink and books–and devoid of his sister as well. He considered the possibility of his sisters being attacked and taken away by someone but he quickly dismissed the idea with a shake of his head. He finished surveying the whole house; checking everything from room to room and examining if there were signs of struggle. There were none.

Which may very well mean that his sisters left him alone. _Again._ He sighed in exasperation and plopped down on one of the chairs in the drawing room –not on Fanran's though, he'll be _murdered_ –only to jump back up in surprise when he heard a scrunching noise. Frowning and wishing that it was not the _thought_ it was, he looked down behind him. A frustrated groan left his throat when he can clearly see that it _is_ what he thought it was.

Angrily tearing the parchment from his rear, he lifted it to his eyes and read the letter again and again. It made him want to snap and burn his sisters' house down.

 _Dear our adorable little brother,_

 _It seems we are still hang up on travelling and still has unfinished business on the place we last visited. Don't worry, though! We shall bring you lots of presents once we get back. How does fine silk sound? Or should I take home a bride for you to finally marry? I mean, you are getting old. Oh, and Rui seemed like she wanted to come with us, so we let her tag along! Ren insisted on staying since he's to be Phil's apprentice, though. But now you'll have more time for yourself, yes? Anyway, we're probably halfway out of the country once you read this, so we only wish for you to take care while we're gone, brother. We love you, little brother!_

 _Yours,_

 _Feimei and Fanran_

 _P.S. Feimei bought a new ink from who-knows-where and it takes so long to dry up! And it tends leave stains even when it is already dry! I'm going to throw it out when she's not looking. I hope you don't accidentally sit on our letter!_

"Then why would you put it on a chair?!" Gritting his teeth, Syaoran tossed the parchment on the table– which was littered with Feimei's random notes as well as few small weapons. He sighed deeply, forgetting his annoyance, and sat back on the chair once again, staring blankly up at the ceiling. He had lit some candles when he investigated the house so he wouldn't have trouble seeing, but even with the room properly illuminated, it still feels bleak and lonely. Even if he wouldn't say it out loud, he constantly craved his sisters' company. It feels awfully quiet when they're not around.

Because when there's silence, he couldn't stop thinking; and thinking is not good because it brings back memories he'd rather forget.

The last time he saw his sisters was two days ago when he coincidentally saw them as he was passing by the market. Fanran was carrying an awfully large amount of silk in her hands while Feimei was too busy picking different colored threads to actually notice his presence. He had asked them what they were doing, but Fanran had only waved then proceeded to drag Feimei away from the store and from his line of sight. He was suspicious that his sisters was up to no good once again, but then again he really wasn't in the mood to play cat-and-mouse with them so he simply continued on his way.

He exited the pub a few hours after Rika left to finally meet the Princess. By that time the sun had already began to set. He drank quite enough alcohol to make his head throb and he had this nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he was forgetting something. He had one foot inside his house when he realized that he hasn't seen Rui nor Ren the whole day. To say that he felt like his stomach dropped on the bottom of his feet wasn't an exaggeration.

His search started at the market, then the stables for he knew that Rui liked looking at the horses. When he couldn't find them anywhere he decided to go to his sisters' house, hoping that Rui and Ren simply went to Fanran to borrow her books. In the end he couldn't find the children _and_ his sisters.

Reading the letter has considerably slowed his heart rate, but it doesn't mean that he wasn't entirely relieved of his worries. He is certain that both his sisters would take care of Rui, but where exactly are they headed? The letter wasn't very descriptive about their destination and he has an inkling that his sisters are hiding something from him.

He couldn't stop thinking about the worse scenarios that could happen during their travel and it irritated him, so he decided to stand up and start cleaning his sister's house to distract himself.

* * *

"There is no need to be so formal, Rika. I sent the servants away," Sakura smiled as she took Rika's hand and gently pulled her from her deep bow. "I missed you so," she let the slightest bit of emotion lace her voice and engulfed her friend into her arms.

"As have I, your highness," Rika whispered as she put her arms around Sakura's shoulders and, since she was quite tall compared to Sakura, she pressed her cheek against her hair. Tears clouded Sakura's vision, but she didn't let them fall. Standing like this, in each other's arms, brought back memories of their childhood; full of innocence and happiness. She knew, without so much as asking, that Rika felt the same.

Rika is Sakura's senior of five years. Rika's father was one of the late King's general and as such, she had been in the palace even before Sakura was born. The late King assigned her as little Sakura's bodyguard, as well as playmate. They grew fond of each other very quickly; with Rika not only acting as her mother whenever the late Queen was busy handling affairs but also acting as her protector when visiting Princes and Princesses made fun of Sakura's small stature and weak nature.

But then when Rika was thirteen, her father passed away at the hands of bandits far north and she had to return to her own home to inherit her family's house and name. Since then they had barely seen each other, much more when Rika suddenly volunteered to take lead of a small mobile unit and be on constant patrol all around the country. _It was to avenge her father,_ Sakura thought.

"Look at you," Rika pulled back and held her at an arm's length. "You've changed so much, your highness! I thought for certain that you'll never reach past my shoulders!" She laughed, whole-heartedly, and it made a smile appear on Sakura's lips as well.

"The same goes for you as well. You never let your hair grow past your shoulders," she pointedly stared at the long brown locks which was braided and flowed over Rika's right shoulder.

"Well," Rika grinned sheepishly and tugged at the end of her braid. "The country's a lot safer now. It's a small price to pay."

"I suppose," Sakura grinned, but it turned to a wince when Rika suddenly patted her shoulder. She looked away and hoped that she didn't notice, but she was late to realize that _nothing_ escapes Rika's sharp eye.

"Your highness, I've known you for all your life and I know you are as clumsy as the late Queen, but that can't possibly be an everyday happening," one dark brow lifted in accusation and Sakura cleared her throat and avoided her gaze.

"I _am_ the Princess of this kingdom. So you don't get to ask question–Ack!" Sakura squealed when Rika suddenly tackled her to the ground. Though Rika made sure that she didn't hit her injured shoulder when they fell, she couldn't say the same for her rear.

"Oh?" Rika dragged out the syllable as she pinned Sakura's body between her legs. "So I'm only allowed to be formal when the situation favors you?" The grin that made its way to Rika's face was so unnerving that Sakura gulped in spite of herself. "I take it back! You haven't changed at all!" Hands crept at Sakura's sides and she sucked in a string of hysterical giggles. "You're still that spoiled brat I raised! Quite foolish to have you running this kingdom. I oppose!" Rika snickered and Sakura couldn't take it anymore. She laughed, more than she had for the past months, and her laughter bounced off the walls and echoed through the hall.

"S-stop!" She was certain that they looked silly and very childish–with Rika still tickling her and she trying to wiggle away–but she didn't care right at the moment. Everyone knew that Rika has the amazing magic power to make the straight-faced Princess laugh her rear off. "I'll-I'll throw …I'll–you out!" She didn't understand her own words over her laughter.

The door suddenly slammed open and Tomoyo ran in, visibly looking very concerned and panicked. "Sakura?!" She shouted, sounding nearly hysterical. Then she saw the state they were in and she noticeably let out a relieved breath. "Sorry to disturb…whatever you people might be doing," she waved at Rika, who stuck a thumb up and grinned in reply. "I'll be going now. Oh, do join us for dinner, Rika. I have _much_ to tell you," then she stepped out of the room and hurriedly closed the door, but not before Sakura saw a familiar mop of blue hair and heard a curious voice asking, "Is everything well?"

"Who was that?" Rika, seemingly done with torturing her, stood up and held out a hand for her. She graciously accepted the offer, careful of her aching shoulder.

"An emissary from the Hiiragizawa Kingdom. I had Tomoyo keep an eye out if he has hidden intentions." Sakura explained once she was back on her feet.

"I see." Rika, unsurprisingly, held her palms up on either sides of her mouth and shouted, "So she went out on a date with a foreigner!"

Not a second later, Tomoyo's muffled reply came through the thick door that separated them, "It was _not_ a date!" To which Rika only laughed in reply.

"Sakura," the sudden serious tone in Rika's voice made Sakura's spine straighten. "It's not like you to summon me back her out of the blue. I know your coronation is coming up, but I also know that the royal knights are more than capable of your protection."

"Some members of the royal knights were murdered," Sakura finally admitted, deciding that it was not the time to beat around the bush. "Uniforms of several palace guards are also stolen and worn by dangerous men. I don't know their methods, but I suspect that the original owners were killed as well."

"What?" Rika exclaimed, and Sakura shushed her with a look. "Why was I kept in the dark from all this? Why isn't Yomu or even Akatsuki saying anything?" She frowned then started pacing, just as she always does when she's troubled. "And how did you get this information?"

"I had Tomoyo ask some maids,"– _'Ask' may be putting it lightly though–_ "and the uniforms…I found out about it myself." Rika stopped and stared at her with her mouth agape as if she'd done a heinous crime. "I didn't stay out for too long!" Well, she did, but there's no reason for Rika to find out about her little 'accident'.

"Did Yomu find out? What is he doing when the capital is becoming damned?" The look on Rika's face made Sakura pause. It was the same expression Rika wore when she found out about her father's death; anger, mixed with pain and confusion.

"It's only a speculation…" Sakura trailed off, staring at her hands as she fiddled with her gloves. "But I think Yomu knows all this and is keeping quiet about it. He–he's…involved, somehow."

Sakura didn't think it was possible for Rika's expression to go darker, but she was mistaken. " _What?_ " She hissed, and her hand fisted at her side. She could nearly hear her teeth grinding as she tightly clenched her jaw.

"I don't have any proof or evidence, but with the amount of knights found dead, it's highly _impossible_ the he hasn't heard of it yet," Sakura went by the window and peered outside. "I think he has something to do with it."

"No." Rika said, but even as she uttered those words with forced conviction, Sakura could clearly hear the disbelief and hesitation in her voice. She couldn't blame her. After all, after the general's death, Yomu became her father figure.

"Nothing is clear yet." Sakura sighed as she faced Rika once again. "It may be that I'm being oversuspicious. However, I'm keeping my ears open and so is Tomoyo. We'll clear up this misunderstanding in no time."

"No." Rika declared as she stared at Sakura with sudden determination. "If threats such as this arise, no matter if we have nothing but doubt, I won't allow any possible danger come your way." Her fists clenched tightly on her sides before she brought one over her heart and knelt on one knee. "I'll be the one to move this time, your highness."

Sakura was taken aback for a couple of seconds, but a smile touched her lips as she looked down at Rika. As of this moment, the tall woman ceased to be her closest friend. Now, she is her general who will mow everything down if it means ensuring her safety.

"Very well," Sakura's smile broadened and a cold, hard glint appeared in her eyes for a moment. "Do not disappoint me."

"I swear it on my family's honor." With another deep bow, Rika turned on her heel and exited the room.

* * *

The next day, Syaoran woke up from his light slumber in his sisters' drawing room. He still has a cloth tied over half his face so he wouldn't inhale all the dust from cleaning and it was starting to suffocate him. Groaning when his muscles ached from being in the same position for too long, he sat up and tore the cloth away from his mouth.

Only to scream in surprise when he saw the figure sitting on _Fanran's chair._ Green eyes glared at him as she looked up from the book she was reading.

"What are you doing here? More importantly, why are _you_ sitting on _that_ chair?" He asked, his face aghast as he predicted the death that will undoubtedly come over him.

"Are you always this loud in peaceful mornings? You sound like a nagging housewife, so please do refrain from shouting. It's not very attractive," she casually closed her book and placed it back on top of the stack by her feet. He didn't know what was more exasperating; the fact that the Princess somehow managed to find him or the fact that the Princess has trespassed into his sisters' house and is now acting like she came over for tea.

Well, either way he wasn't having any of it. Having demanding females all around him was making him a lot short-tempered than he originally was.

"Not to be rude but what is it that you want, your highness?" He leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He waited until she was done rearranging her skirts so he can direct his leveled stare into her eyes. She truly has a curious eye color. He'd never seen anything like it.

"You're very forward. I like that," her mouth quirked up a bit in what he suspected is a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Be my knight." At that Syaoran felt like someone punched him on the throat.

"I'm sorry, but what?"

She paused, as if a confusing puzzle was set before her and she was figuring how to solve it. "I am not fond of repeating my words, but I suspect that you are quite dimwitted so I will make an exception," Syaoran felt his eyebrow twitch. First, this girl came to his sisters' home uninvited and now she's acting like a spoiled brat _and_ insulting him. How very rude. "Be my knight."

She wasn't even asking. She was straight up commanding him.

"No," he frowned at her and she frowned back.

"Why?" She stood and walked around the table which separated them, stopping right before him. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down upon him with a frigid stare. Other men would have backed out, but he's had a lot of experience of people giving him the same look. Some were even harsher.

"Because I don't want to," he met her glare head on and he could see her trying to hold onto her temper. If the situation was a bit different, he would've laughed in amusement. "Who said I want to be your chummy knight? I'm sure there are people more willing than me, Princess."

He anticipated then that she would order for his beheading and he prepared for the worst when she leaned down and stared at his eyes wordlessly. But when she raised both hands and palmed either sides of his face, he nearly jumped out of his skin. She leaned closer, so close that he could see the flecks of gray in her emerald irises. In spite of himself, he could feel his heart picking up its pace.

 _What is with this girl and her lack of consideration for personal space?_

They stayed like that for a few moments, with her hands on his face and his hands frozen in the air, halfway from trying to pry her away from him but not quite making it. She stared at him for so long that it became undeniably uncomfortable. There was something about her eyes that scared him. It was like she was seeing his insides. It bothered him a lot.

"As I thought," she said as she stood back on her full height and let her hands fall on her sides. "I want you. There can be no one else."

Syaoran spluttered and jumped from his seat, landing behind the chair and successfully putting some distance between them. "Are you out of your mind?" He asked incredulously as he held the back of the chair in a tight grip.

"I don't see why you would imply that I am mentally ill," she leaned towards him again and Syaoran quickly leaned back. Sweat misted his brow and slowly trickled down his temple. "I am fully capable of thinking clearly. I want you as my knight and I am declaring it now. What is wrong with being truthful to what you want?"

Damn it, he didn't know if she does this often, but he hated it. Why does he feel like he's the one in the wrong when he's clearly the sane one in this conversation?

"You can't say that to a person and expect him to oblige. That is a complete disrespect for their wishes!"

"I am not expecting you to oblige. I _will_ make you oblige," she said this so casually that Syaoran wondered if he was still dreaming or not.

"Are you _delusional_? What makes you think I'll agree?"

She smirked, as if he walked right into her trap. "It's quite simple. I am granting you the greatest honor you can ever bring your family." _Oh, not only is she spoiled, she's arrogant as well._

Syaoran laughed; a dry, humorless laugh. She scowled but said nothing. "You have met my sisters," he said, all traces of amusement and patience absent in his tone. "They don't care for trivial things such as honor or _chivalry_ ," he spat out the word as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth, "And neither do I."

By then she was regarding him with a blank look, yet she did nothing and her mouth remained in a straight line. "I don't mean to be rude, your highness," he lifted his hand and offered it to her. She stared at it for a couple of seconds, obviously debating whether to push him further, before she placed her tiny hand into his. Despite the gloves she wore, it felt warm.

Gently, he guided her to the main door. As he opened it, he looked back at her. Making sure that his emotions are not in plain sight, he said, "Honor means nothing to people like me, Princess. Honor did not make my sisters and I survive this long." _Honor cannot bring back what we lost._

"I see," she said, a bit hesitantly before stepping around him and exiting the house herself.

"Your highness!" Ren greeted as soon as the Princess stepped on the pavement. He was clearly waiting for her, and beside him stood Rika, along with a few palace guards. _So she came escorted this time…and Ren told them where my sisters' house is._

Rika was staring at Sakura with an unidentified emotion on her face but when she looked up and met Syaoran's eyes, she smiled warmly and walked towards him.

"You declined." Rika said as soon as she stopped before him.

"I did," Syaoran glanced at the Princess, who was now talking with Ren in hushed whispers.

"I know she's a handful, but she's really a good person deep down." Syaoran studied her and noticed that Rika looked at the Princess with something akin to motherly affection. "She's been alone and for a long time and she's been overly isolated from the world that she only has one other friend aside from me."

"She acts like a brat, though," he grumbled, scratching the back of his head and scowling.

"She does," Rika laughed, and it caught the Princess's attention. She glanced at the two of them with narrowed eyes. "But she probably has no idea how to handle you. The only men she's been around since her father died are her suitors," her voice dropped to a low whisper as she added, "and she did nothing but drive them all away."

"And she's not exactly modest," Syaoran was complaining at this point, but he couldn't help himself. The aftermath of dealing with the Princess felt as though he hadn't slept for months.

Rika smiled, as if the Princess's arrogance was something as natural as breathing to her. "Sakura's been raised to be a ruler since she's a child. She's been taught confidence above everything else, and most of the time that is mistaken for conceit as she grew up. She is arrogant, but not so much that she'll do something irrationally foolish just to boast."

Syaoran frowned. It made sense, and he didn't like it. He wanted to hate the annoying little royal, but when Rika is going out of her way simply to explain the Princess's behavior, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Rika was one of the very few people who knew about his past and accepted who he is. That acceptance was enough to make him feel grateful for the rest of his life.

"I know you declined, but if something happened, please protect her if I don't happen to be there for her," Rika said, her eyes downcast and sullen. It was unlikely that she'd be separated from the Princess, but Syaoran smiled and nodded nonetheless.

"You two seem awfully close, have you known her since childhood?"

"Yes," it was the Princess who answered, coming from behind them and standing beside Rika. "She is like the older sister that I never really wanted."

Rika mock glared at her then patted her head. The Princess turned red, whether from anger or embarrassment, Syaoran didn't know, but it was still entertaining to see. She smacked Rika's hand away, but the taller girl only gushed at how 'adorable' she was when being shy.

Looking at them like this, Syaoran was painfully reminded of his sisters. Pursing his lips, he silently averted his gaze, unaware of the green eyes that studied him.

* * *

"Akatsuki," Yomu called as he sat behind his desk and smoothed his hand over the pages before him. With his fingers he touched the leather which bound the book and traced the engravings on the cover.

"Yes, my lord?" A swish of soft breeze moved over the room and Akatsuki appeared by the door silently, just as he always does.

"How is the Princess?" Yomu asked as he leaned back and smoothed his bony hands over the arms of his chair, marveling the feeling of gold against his skin.

"Silent, as usual." Akatsuki smiled and even as half of his face was hidden by the dark shadows which swallowed most of the room, Yomu could clearly see the glowing intent on his cold blue eyes. "I suspect that she knows what is truly happening, but she hasn't made a single move yet."

"I doubt she will," Yomu scoffed. "Can't you see, Akatsuki? The Princess is smarter than she looks. She knows that one wrong move might be her downfall. She's currently threading on thin ice right now."

"She is trapped," Akatsuki grinned. "If you will give me the order, I can take care of her fo–"

"No." Yomu narrowed his eyes the slightest bit, and Akatsuki visibly backed half a step and hit the wall behind him.

Since he came here some time before the Queen's death as a tutor for the Princess, the young man has clearly developed quite the fascination towards the dying monarch. When she was gone he disappeared for a few months, only to come back as a different man.

Yomu doesn't know the exact details but he now directed his obsession at the young Princess. Yes, he could probe him for answers, but he has no desire to understand how a madman's mind works. If he became too much of a problem, he can quickly dispose of him, but as of now, he makes a very great pawn.

"Her name alone still carries a lot of weight. If she's suddenly to die while there is confusion among the kingdom, the rebellion will turn against us." Yomu chuckled, "We still need her as a scapegoat."

"Very well," Akatsuki lowered his eyes but smiled nonetheless. "I also heard that Rika is back. What do you intend to do with her?"

Yomu briefly stared at him before transfixing his gaze at the ceiling. _Dear Rika…_ even as she took after her father in demeanor, she still has the face of her mother. There was a time when he admired that face fondly. So great was his want and love that he couldn't bear her being married off to another man…

She was gone, but Rika is still here. His dear, beloved Rika…

"I can take care of her, you needn't worry so," Yomu sighed. "Keep an eye out for the Princess, as well as her meddling friend. Should her friend pose any problem, take care of her immediately." He waved his hand and Akatsuki took the hint. With a slight bow and a swish of cold air, he was gone from the room.

Yomu smiled as he went back to reading his book. Everything is going smoothly according to plan. Once all the pieces are set, he simply needs _her_ blood for everything to be complete. He took the chalice by the side of his desk and lifted it to his pale lips, savoring the flavor of the dark red liquid as it poured down his throat and warmed his belly. As he set the chalice back on the surface, he licked his red lips.

* * *

That night, as Sakura slept in her chamber, she dreamt of being in a lovely meadow. The sky was devoid of any clouds and she can see the blaring sun, yet the heat didn't feel overbearing. It was warm, and it reminded her of her mother's embrace.

As she walked by the patches of grass and undergrowth, she spotted a person. It was a woman with long silky hair sitting amidst the blooming flowers. Even as she had her back towards her, Sakura can tell that she was very tall and elegant. She approached her, yet she didn't know why. It was as if a silent voice was beckoning her to come closer.

When she stopped a few feet behind her, the woman turned and looked at her. Sakura took a step back, surprised by her beauty. She was youthful and her eyes were as dark as the night sky. On her head was a beautiful crown that glittered as the sun touched it.

Her eyes were sad when she saw her, but the woman smiled.

"What is bothering you, your highness?" Sakura found herself asking. From the way the woman looked and sat, she was no less than a Queen. The woman seemed surprised of the way she addressed her, but she quickly hid it with a shy smile.

"It is my sister," the unknown woman answered after a short while. Tears suddenly streaked down her face as her hands touched the flowers around her. Sakura gasped as everything around the woman died and wilted. "We are two halves of a whole. She is I and I am she. But she is weakening," she whispered the last part as if she was too horrified to accept it. "If my sister dies then I shall lose myself. We cannot survive if one is lost."

Sakura frowned, confused, but regarded it as a sister's unconditional love. "Where is your sister now?"

The woman stared at her for a moment, debating her answer, before she lifted her arms and waved it around her. "My sister is everywhere," she smiled. "I'm not sure if you can feel her, but she is happy with your presence."

At that moment Sakura was convinced that this is the strangest dream she's ever had in ages. The woman looked normal, yet she's spouting things only a mentally handicapped person would say.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Would you help my sister?" The woman pointedly ignored her and Sakura frowned deeply.

"It depends," she answered.

Sadness was immediately etched on the woman's face. "I see," she looked down and played with a lock of dark hair that fell over her shoulder.

"If I can see the state of your sister, I might be able to figure out what to do," Sakura wasn't particularly gifted in healing, but her late grandmother was a very great healer. She had many books that contained various illness and its cures and Sakura read each of them at least a hundred times.

"Really?" The woman grinned and her face lit up. She gently lifted her hand towards her. "Come with me, I'll take you to where my sister is," she smiled.

Sakura was a little confused, but she extended her own hand to take hers nonetheless.

When their fingers were nearly touching, the woman grinned and said, "I knew you have a good heart, Sakura. You have my deepest gratitude." Sakura drew back her hand.

"How do you know my na–"

Sakura was harshly brought back to reality by the consistent pounding on the door and Rika's shouts outside her room.

"Sakura! Sakura why is your door locked? Sakura answer me, now!"

With her heart still beating loudly in her chest caused by the strange dream, she lifted the duvet off her body and grabbed her robe hanging beside her bed. She barely had one arm though one of its sleeves when the door burst open, revealing a disheveled looking Rika and a few servants holding lanterns.

Sakura yelped and covered herself.

"What in the world is happening?" She demanded as she tied the robe tightly around her.

Rika didn't answer for a moment, as if she was debating whether to tell her now or wait until the sun rose. "It's Tomoyo," she said after a few deafening moments of silence. Sakura felt her heart skip a beat and she said nothing as she pushed past the people crowding in her door and half-ran to the room directly across hers.

She hurriedly pushed the door open and the sight that greeted her made knees weak. She gripped the doorframe to prevent herself from crumbling to the floor.

Tomoyo's room was a mess. The furniture was knocked over and all over the place, her gowns were ruined and pulled out of her closet, her perfume bottles were broken and all over the floor and bathed the room in a sickly sweet smell that made Sakura's stomach churn. _This couldn't be happening…_

Her eyes were glued to her broken mirror, where a head was clearly repeatedly bashed on. There was so much blood on it. It was as if Tomoyo had fought off her attackers until she couldn't. As she forcefully dragged her gaze to her bed, Sakura felt her energy ebb out of her body in a breath and if Rika wasn't there to hold her sturdy, she would've fallen on the floor and curled into a ball.

The sheets were ripped in pieces, one of the posts were broken and the pillows were gutted, leaving soft feathers matted red all over the mattress and around the bed. On the middle of the mattress was blood. So much blood that it dripped from the torn sheets and puddled on the floor below.

Sakura's throat hurt and someone was screaming so loudly that it hurt her ears, but when Rika's hand squeezed her shoulders lightly, she realized that it was her who was making that horrible sound.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she curled her fingers into fists. _Whoever did this…whoever did this will pay! I'll kill him with my own hands!_ Several gasps resounded around her and she realized that she said those words aloud.

"Search the palace!" She shouted. "No one will sleep until the culprit is gagged and beheaded!"

No one questioned her. With the sound of scuffling skirts and hurried footsteps, all the servants fled, all except Rika, who was still standing behind her.

"Go fetch Yomu." Sakura ordered, her eyes still on the ravaged room before her. She wasn't screaming anymore, yet she couldn't stop the anger that welled on her chest.

"What are you going to do?" Rika asked softly, hesitantly.

Sakura didn't answer. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked back to her room.

* * *

 **A/N:** Concerning Syaoran's two dogs, I literally named them after "Bow" (Gong) and "Arrow" (Jian) in Chinese. I actually don't know Chinese and I have Google to thank for the translation but I think it's fitting for Syaoran and his sisters' different heritage (meaning they're foreigners and not originally from Kinomoto kingdom in this case)

Moving on, the plot is finally moving! Anyway, half of this chapter was written a few months back so there was a lot of shifts (I hope it's not _too_ noticeable) and I apologize for it! T_T

I know the story has a slow start and it might've turned off a lot of readers but here it's finally officially starting! I'm pretty hyped to write now. Welcome to character deaths, everyone!


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